It all started with a Nameless Beauty
by no1inparticular
Summary: INUxYYH xover. Kagome goes through a sudden change and finds herself with a bandit kitsune. a little out-of-character, but HEY it's my story. EDITED/RESURRECTED.
1. CH1

**It all started with a Nameless Beauty**

_***^***^***Author's note: enjoy. Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters ***^***^***_

I'M ALIVE. Yes.  
I'm older.

And hopefully my writing is better.

Please, enjoy.

~~~ Chapter 1 ~~~

The day began as it usually did, fighting demons, searching for jewel shards, physical battles, and verbal battles, "Inuyasha! I said I'm going home! And you can't do anything about it," Kagome yelled as she walked down the dirt road, "You know I have tests and you KNOW that I have to go back once in a while. Why in the world are you always like this? You act like you're two years old!"

Inuyasha followed after her and rolled his eyes. He took a deep breath, and responded with equal gusto, "Kagome! I forbid you! We've traveled so far and we're probably REALLY close to a jewel shard, and without you we're stuck. Don't you get it? We need you here more than anyone else needs you there in your other world!"

Without a second's delay, Kagome stopped in her tracks and turned around to face the hanyou, "Inuyasha! Does it ever occur to you that _I_ need things too? I need to keep up my grades, and I need to do things NORMAL people do in my time! Do you ever care about anyone else?"

He looked at her, and his eyes narrowed. He crossed his arms, turned his head, and let out a quick exhale of air, "Feh." Spotting a tree, he bound upwards to do what he did best: **brood**.

Kagome began to walk towards the well, but looked back just in case, ensuring he would stay put. After a good minute or so, she was met with nothing. GOOD. She turned back around towards the well, only to stop one last time, "I'm leaving, but I'll be back in 3 days, OK? It's shorter than usual." She waited for a response, but to no avail (and to his toddler-like stubbornness), there was nothing. Kagome scoffed, and headed towards the magical well. "Cheh," she muttered, "baby."

Inuyasha stayed in his tree, eyes closed and fidgeting every so often. '_She better not get into any trouble when she's walking there', _he thought.

Kagome took her time when she walked to the well, but not without taking a slight detour. She knew not to walk too far to get into trouble. This was from experience (and from Inuyasha's constant lectures). She was only going to walk to the edge of the dense forest to collect some herbs for her grandfather. She recalled her grandfather telling (yelling) at her, "The herbs in the past are so much fresher and LOADS cheaper!" She rolled her eyes and giggled a bit to herself before continuing the trek towards the vegetation.

As she came upon the herbs, something caught her eye: the most beautiful flower she had ever laid eyes on! She got down on her hands and knees and began to reach for it. It was a strange blue color at first, but as she inched closer towards it, it changed from its already breathtaking blue to deep purple to plush red. She had never seen anything like it before. She plucked it and stuck it behind her ear to free up her hands. She continued looking around the forest grounds, gathering as many herbs as she could carry in her arms and bag. When her knees couldn't take much more of the hard earth, she decided it was time to stretch and go home. Kagome stood up and checked her bag to see if it was securely fastened. She didn't want to drop any on the way home.

Satisfied that she had gotten all the best herbs, she heaved the bag onto her shoulders. "Oomph!" that was heavy, she thought. As she headed towards the well, she relished the cool breeze running through her hair and the smell of nature wherever she turned. Her arrival at the lip of the well was much quicker than she had hoped, and with one last deep breath, she hopped into the abyss to join her real life.

The familiar blue light and solid ground underneath her feet told her she had safely arrived back in 2012. She fumbled around in the dark for a couple seconds, until her fingers came upon the rope ladder. As she climbed up towards the light, her speed increased exponentially. HOME! She had not been back for a couple weeks and she missed her family dearly.

"Tadaima!" she practically screamed while barging in through the front door. She half expected her mother to tackle her, only to be surprised with a note stuck onto the wall directly in front of the entrance: '_Dear Kagome, If you're reading this note, you just missed us. I'm really sorry for not being there, but we got an urgent message from your aunt since she was having a baby. There's plenty of first aid kit stuff in the medicine cabinets and ramen in the cupboard. We love you! (Especially me!) Love, Mom.' _Kagome sighed. Her mom was so cute, and Kagome missed her so much. If only there were more people like her mom. *sigh* Kagome read the note one more time before folding it carefully and tucking it inside her pocket.

With another sigh, she continued up the stairs. "_Oh well, enough with the sulking. I have the whole house to myself now," _she thought_. _She ran up the remaining steps and did the first thing her body begged for, a nice LONG hot bath. She quickly ran to the bathtub, turned on the faucet, and counted the long seconds before the tub was filled. As soon as the tub was decently full, she peeled off her clothes as quickly as possible, and threw herself in.

It was a bit hotter than her usual bath, but she did not notice, or care.

"This is the life!" she said, as she stretched her limbs as far as they could go in the tiny tub. Steam filled the room at a steady slow pace, and almost instantly, her muscles began to relax. How she needed this! Walking around forests, with the incessant nagging of Inuyasha, and constant stress of being eaten or killed by a demon definitely took its toll on her. She could almost feel every muscle in her tired body screaming in agony, and then started pounding the sore spots, imitating her beloved grandfather. "Ugh, I'm getting old", she thought.

She would relax later. First, she needed to get the ancient dirt off of her and to get clean. As Kagome reached for the soap, something had fallen into the water. "Oh right! The flower!" she thought. Plucking the flower out from the water, she brought it to her nose and sniffed; the scent was indescribable! It seemed like a mixture of jasmine, marshmallows, and something she couldn't quite place, something very nostalgic and warm. She took deep breaths of the flower, still trying to figure out what it was. And like a ton of bricks, it hit her; it was her father's scent. Could it be that he used cologne that had this flower extract? She shook her head, 'no, it couldn't be'. Regardless of the reason, Kagome continued breathing it in, feeling at home and at peace. The scent hugged her entire body, and she savored every moment.

With a sigh, she let down her tired arm and let the flower float atop the water. She watched as it swirled on the surface, and how the light would catch the pedals, bouncing off the many different colors. With the heat from the water, the scent was intensified and spread quickly throughout the entire bathroom. Still looking at the flower with its ever-changing colors, constant swirling, and intoxicating scent, she was practically hypnotized. Kagome was easily put into a state of relaxation, and eventually, she dozed off. Her hair could wait.

After an hour or so, her eyes began to flicker open and she realized that she was still in the tub. She quickly reached for the soap again and lathered herself up and rinsed off in a fast shower. Now clean, she clambered out of the tub and put on her pajamas. It was getting late, and she wanted to be reunited with her fluffy pink pillow as soon as she could. She grabbed the towel to dry off her hair, and almost immediately, she knew something was different. She felt so refreshed and alive! But, that wasn't it. Something else was different. It nagged at her, but eventually she gave up.

She went downstairs and grabbed a cup ramen. Boy, was she hungry! And she never really got to enjoy a _**whole**_ cup to herself on the other side of the well. Inuyasha would always manage the puppy-dog face (go figure) and manage to eat her last few precious bites. But not tonight! As soon as the 3 minutes were up, she delved into the cup, and it vanished in a matter of seconds. After slurping the last of the delicious MSG-filled soup, she let out a breath of air, "Ahhhhh, oiiishiiiii!" Her mom always told her to not drink the soup, but seeing as how no one was home, Kagome indulged in her guilty pleasures.

With the warm ramen and broth in her tummy, Kagome could feel the past two weeks weigh down on her. She needed to go to bed, even if she didn't feel tired. She knew her body, not only needed it, but deserved it.

She headed back upstairs and turned down the hallway to her bathroom. She hadn't realized how tired she was until she climbed those last few steps. She yawned and her eyes teared. Continuing in her watery-eyed state, she began her night-time routine: brushing, flossing, and popping the occasional zit—another one of guilty pleasures. One hand slowly reached for the toothpaste, squeezing it onto her toothbrush, while the other filled up her cup with water. "Why am I so tired now?" she thought to herself. She blinked out the tears from earlier, and leaned into the mirror to see just how bad the bags under her eyes were. She looked at herself, and blinked once more. _What in the…?_ The girl in the mirror was not her! The girl of her reflection had a navy stripe on her cheek and bluish streaks in her hair. Really, she wasn't even a girl. On top of her head sat two triangles, positioned straight up, as if they were waiting for something.

Stunned, she stood in front of the mirror, mouth agape, until finally, a light bulb went off in her head, "_Oh no.._."

That was their cue, the ears drooped.

She didn't know how it happened but as soon as she came to her senses, she realized that it had to be the flower. Everything else she had done that night was routine, things she had done hundreds, if not thousands, of times! She quickly went to her grandfather's room and searched for a cure or something about her current state. Her grandfather always had books on things no one would EVER read about. After speed reading through volumes of books, and many almost-panic attacks, she finally came upon a dusty old book almost hidden from view. It was a book of magic. Spells, curses, remedies, and vexes were abundant on every page, almost spilling over the edges. She flipped through the pages with inhuman speed. Whatever animal she was, she was a fast reading one. Her new found eyes spotted a hand-drawn picture of the exact flower she had brought home. The flower was supposedly so rare, it was dubbed a mythical plant and was never given a name. "_A nameless beauty",_ she thought. The flower was known for its power to change a human into a part-demon, or hanyou. The demon-half would be from a demon the user was familiar with, or was constantly around. It took her a moment, _she was half Inuyasha?_! She continued reading and discovered that she had followed the instructions on how to properly use the flower down to a tee: soak the plant in hot water and submerge yourself in the concoction for an hour.

Finally having grasped the situation, she knew what she had to do, go back to the well. Kaede was the only person who would have _some_ knowledge of how to reverse the effect of the flower. Packing a light overnight bag and changing back into her uniform in record time, she headed out the door. With only a small messenger bag, she ran for the well. It would be a quick visit; she would solve her problem, and be back before anyone knew anything was up.

_Boy, was she wrong._

Just a quick jump into the well, and she was welcomed back into the past. Upon arriving on the other side, she was overwhelmed by the scent of nature. _It smelled so good!_ She climbed up and stretched out her demon senses easily, much like her _miko_ senses. 'Only a few youkai.'

She quickly began to make her way through _Inuyasha's Forest,_ intent on finding a cure.

She treaded through the trees, experimenting with her newfound powers. "_Maybe it's not so bad being a hanyou. It's kind of nice being able to kick some serious butt." _She giggled, and almost immediately regretted it. Something was there. Her thoughts and movements were brought to a complete halt. The only thing she could think of was jumping high into a tree. And as effortlessly as Inuyasha did this, so did she. Mentally, she patted herself on the back. She had lost her balance just a _little_.

She crouched, patiently, nervously. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears. She needed to calm down! She tried to be as still as she could, and with a little perseverance, she was able to bring her heart rate to an acceptable level. She waited for what seemed like ages, until finally, through the dense dark trees, someone appeared. Beneath her, clad in white, was the most beautiful being she had ever seen: deep amber eyes, snow-white tail, and a pair of very "tweakable" ears. Just being able to stare upon the creature was like being in heaven. Her moment of ogling was quickly shattered when a very masculine voice spoke up, "Quit hiding, I know you're there."

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading!

any reviews/comments? be my guest. :)


	2. CH2

**It all started with a Nameless Beauty**

* * *

A/N: Enjoy.

~~~Chapter 2 ~~~

"Quit hiding, I know you're there," the figure spoke in a very cold tone. She froze. "_Crap!_ _What do I do?_" she thought. She quickly came up with pros and cons of hiding, running, and showing herself, and finally came to the conclusion to climb down. She knew she could not outrun him or beat him in a fight. The best option was to reason with him.

She descended down from her high perch and landed gracefully a safe distance away from the youkai. The amber-eyed creature watched as a hanyou he had never seen before leapt down from the sky. _She was beautiful_. He never took interest in people or youkai around him, but this young hanyou seemed to spike his attention. She had an odd and revealing fashion sense and had the most piercing blue eyes.

"What do you want? And why are you here?" she asked, her voice disrupting his thoughts. He quickly recomposed himself and replied, "My name is of no concern to you, and my business is my own. You, _woman_, have no right to question me. You do not own these lands."

Kagome's _youki_ flared at the term 'woman'. She hated it, even more now that she was half demon. She didn't know why, but thought it was probably her animalistic side clawing at its cage. As her anger grew, so did her scent. It quickly saturated the surrounding air, unintentionally luring the youkai to take a step forward. Kagome's eyes widened, 'What the hell? Back up!' her thoughts screamed.

She was as stiff as can be and on-edge. Her adrenaline had kicked in, making her scent flare once more. She was ready: fight-or-flight. With every step he took towards her, Kagome matched backwards. The tango they danced was slow, and deadly. It gave them both time to assess the enemy. Kagome could sense he was powerful, and knew not to make any sudden movements. She could already tell by his demeanor and youki, that he would not hesitate to kill. Eyes darting everywhere, she realized that he was like Shippou, a fox demon. Her head tilted slightly, and her eyes and ears perked up in curiosity.

His steps deepened.

Fear spiked within her. Feeling more threatened, and not being able to take the ever building tension, she half blurted out half screamed, "Ever heard of personal boundaries, **fox**!" Her miko powers and youki had unknowingly combined and gave off an offensive and threatening vibe. The youkai raised an eyebrow, "_So, she wants a fight?" _he thought.

Before she could understand what had just transpired, she saw the fox taking the offensive position ready to pounce. Had she done something wrong? Without the time to even blink, he charged at her and delivered kicks and punches. Kagome's past miko training and new found demon speed let her keep up with the youkai, blocking and dodging when necessary. What the hell? She needed to get away as soon as she could!

The demon looked at her curiously.

The hanyou wanted a fight, yet when he initiated, she only took to defense. "What was she playing at?" he thought. She practically begged him to come closer, and almost immediately ran away. He looked her over once again. She was peculiar.

Now, more intrigued than anything, his attacks became a test of her physical abilities. He admired her speed, her focus, and her ferocity. Keeping up with him for this long, he gave her some credit; she was a worthy 'adversary'.

She was tiring quickly and had to get away. But every time she was able to put some distance between them, the more persistent the fox became in chasing her down. "Please! I mean you no harm or disrespect! I am just on my way to visit a friend!" she exclaimed. But still, he advanced.

New tactic. She dug deep into her miko powers. She would prove to him she was not a weak hanyou and beat him.

With a sudden burst of energy, she took control of the fight. Kagome charged at the fox, punching back with more speed and precision than before, and with a pink hue encompassing her attacks. "What is this?" the fox thought, again raising an eyebrow. Her form told him she was inexperienced in fighting, but her speed and youki, told him otherwise. And with this extra energy she had somehow mustered, he could feel her hits getting in, even if only a little, he still felt it. She was very odd, and he needed to observe her more.

"I need another strategy", he thought, and jumped high into the air, disappearing from her sight.

'_What the heck-?' _she looked around could tell he was close. It was now or never. She would get rid of him once and for all and run to Kaede. Kagome slowed her movements and calmed down her nerves. Then closing her eyes, she looked deep inside of her and tapped into the energy she knew was there. She struggled to reach deep to use the energy, but with the element of surprise on her side, she knew she would succeed. She used the remains of her miko powers and obliterated the surrounding area into charcoal dust. Her chest heaved.

That had taken much more of her than she thought. After she regained her composure, she stretched out her senses and came up with nothing. He was gone. _Thank God._ She was barely standing, and she needed to get out of the dangerous forest as quickly as she could. She took one last look around her, and headed towards the village in a light jog.

As she made her way to Kaede's hut, she began scolding herself. How could she have let that happen? Also, she needed to calm her nerves, but for some reason she couldn't. Her demon side was still on edge. She looked back from time to time, thinking it would shake the feeling. But it proved futile. Damn these demon senses. Logic told her she was safe, but her body refused to listen! Frustrating as it was, it was good to know her body was careful. And only when she was a safe distance away, did she let out a small cocky smile.

Unknown to her, sharp amber eyes were watching her, and her smirk had called to him. It tempted him, and practically begged him to dominate her. He had just barely escaped from her pink burst of power with a slight singe. And still, he was drawn to her. Especially now that she had no idea of his existence; her lack of energy had falsely informed her of his demise.

He smirked. It seemed wrong to not answer her small smile's request. He used his youkai speed and tackled her from behind to the ground. He was suddenly straddling Kagome from behind. His knees encased her arms to her sides, and his weight tightly held her in place. He could smell her scent spike again with fear, and immediately, his instincts told him to dive his nose into her hair, "_She smells fantastic!"_

Fear had overcome Kagome in record time. As she fell, she saw a flash of silver and knew right then that her demon side was right from the beginning. Goddamnit! When she felt something on the back of her neck, she stiffened, 'Was he smelling her?'

"Get off of me!" Kagome screamed, hurting her own ears at the same time. She yanked her head back as quickly as she could, catching him straight in the nose. The slightest falter in his grasp was all she needed.

She wriggled free of his grip and fled, "Don't you dare touch me!" she yelled. She did _NOT_ need this right now, especially when she had only been a hanyou for just a few hours! Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes, but she would not let them fall. She ran now, almost pathetically, as fast as she could. She had no energy left. And almost as if on cue, the fox demon appeared in the clearing ahead of her. She tensed up. There was nowhere else to go, and there was nothing left she could do. He circled her, observing her. He could see how innocent and pure she was, and he wanted her. He HAD to have her.

What was she going to do? She was going to die, in the middle of the forest, hundreds of years in the past! Inuyasha didn't know she was back, and her family had almost no clue as to what she was up to. She looked at the youkai, and could see the way he looked at her. She was a meal-on-wheels that had walked directly into his path. How could she have been so stupid? She was doomed. Her chest heaved up and down.

No.

She blinked the tears away. She would not go down without a fight!

She looked across the clearing at the murderous youkai, standing very still, ready to attack her. For what seemed like hours, neither of them moved. Kagome could tell she was losing it. Her determination was slipping away, and she knew she was defeated. She let out a small sigh, and almost immediately, the youkai's posture straightened. He blinked his eyes, and his previous predatory stare was no longer, "May I please have the honor of knowing your full name?"

After another long pause, this time from confusion rather than fear, she barely whispered, "Kagome Higurashi".

"Kagome Higurashi," he looked deep into her gaze, "Get ready."

With a smirk plastered on his face, he ran towards her full speed. She braced herself for the impact of whatever was to come. But just when he was about to reach her, he flipped above and over her head and landed behind her once again. Had Kagome been at full attention and energy she would have noticed, but all she could think was that the fox had disappeared again! One minute he was running directly at her, the next, he was gone! "_Where did he go now?" _she thought to herself._  
_

As if reading her mind, he answered her question. He reached his hands above her head and very delicately tweaked her raven ears, deliberately disobeying her previous order to not touch her. Kagome shrieked, and leapt away from him while covering her ears for dear life. '_What the __**hell**__ was that?' _It had felt so unnatural to her. She touched her own ears, and again, it was _TOO weird_! She didn't think anything on her body was that sensitive.

Pulling her from her newest discovery, he taunted, "What? Scared now?" Almost immediately, and regrettably, she let go of her ears, stood up straight, and scoffed, "What? Scared of you? Don't make me laugh!"

**CRAP!** What the hell had she said? Something in her was making her want to prove her worth, and she needed to stop NOW if she wanted to live. Clearly not buying her bluff, the fox began to advance. Right away, he could smell the scent of fear rising with every step. Like a déjà-vu, she stepped away from him, but this time, she backed into a tree.

She tried to sink further into the hard bark, but to no avail. He was upon her in seconds and menacingly placed both hands on either side of her head, and spoke, "I, Youko Kurama, take you, Kagome Higurashi," he paused and breathed her in once more, "as my mate". Kagome stared on, wide-eyed, as the demon lowered his head, claiming her lips in his own. Her instincts took over and she quickly raised her hands and pressed them against his chest, trying to dislodge him from her mouth. Her pushing was futile, but then a blast of miko energy exploded from her palms. Her hidden miko powers had saved her. The force had sent him straight into a neighboring tree, stunning him, and effectively giving her enough time to flee the forest and reach Kaede's village.

* * *

Kagome awoke from her well-deserved sleep on Kaede's tatami mat. Inuyasha was nowhere near the village, so she was free from insults today. The conversation with the woman last night was not what she had expected but it was better than nothing. Kaede had no knowledge of the flower and would visit her friend in the next village to see if he knew anything. Until then, Kagome was told to sit tight and wait. Having nothing to do, she helped local villagers who still recognized her, after much debate, as the reincarnated Kikyo.

A pair of amber eyes kept watch, noticing her gentleness with the villagers. He tried to forget her, tried to convince himself there were other more powerful and full youkai out there, but she continued to haunt his mind. Watching her gave him the exhilarating feeling of a predator watching its prey, or at least until something disturbed his peace of mind.

~~~End of chapter~~~

~~~^~~~^~~~ Thanks for reading! ~~~^~~~^~~~


	3. CH3

**It all started with a Nameless Beauty**

~~~^~~~^~~~ Author's Note: In my story, he has both arms! :P ~~~^~~~^~~~

~~~ Chapter 3~~~

Kagome sensed a powerful youkai coming, and immediately left the village to ensure the safety of the residents living there. She waited until the youkai came into view to take a course of action, that is, until she realized it was a familiar inu.

Sesshoumaru floated on his cloud, tail wrapped around him, and came closer to Kagome. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened ever so slightly. He at first did not recognize the female ahead if him, but as soon as he took a whiff of the air, he realized that this was the human that traveled alongside his half-brother. '_But she is hanyou!'_

"Inuyasha's bitch, what a pleasant surprise," he said, dripping with sarcasm.

"I am no one's bitch, **dog**," she spat, "Now, what are you doing here?"

"I have come for the half-breed. And by half-breed, I mean Inuyasha," he paused, "Not to be mistaken with you, of course." He smirked.

Kagome gave him a painful smile and then snarled, letting her aura flare. Sesshoumaru eyed the Miko carefully, feeling the power she was emanating. "Do not worry, I am not here to fight you. You are not worthy of my time."

Ticked off to be taken so lightly again by a demon, Kagome couldn't help but respond. Recently, her mind always wanted to prove her independence and dominance and she could _not_ hold herself back! If it was a reaction to arrogant demons, or from her transformation, she did not know, "Scared to fight a girl, are you? It's alright, I understand." As soon as she finished her insult, she felt her breath escape her lungs, and pain shoot up her back. He had pinned her to a tree, with a clawed-hand snaked around her delicate neck. Sesshoumaru's youki flared in response to hers, and after several calming breaths, he spoke, barely above a whisper, "Trust me, Miko. I can defeat any opponent."

The fox demon watched from the trees and listened on, '_So this girl is part Miko, AND part demon? No wonder she's so powerful.'_ After much internal debate, he finally came to the conclusion to not interfere. He wanted to see what his future mate was capable of. Only if she really needed him would he step in and help.

Kagome was held high up against the tree in just one of Sesshoumaru's hands, and her life was about to end. How could she have been so stupid? Provoking the Lord of the Western Lands? But Kagome would not die a coward. "Go ahead," she struggled for air, "Kill me," she breathed in what little air she could get, "like you do everyone else! What are you going to gain?" She paused, gaining as much composure as she could, and continued, "Absolutely NOTHING!"

'_What is this girl doing?'_ Sesshoumaru thought '_She was asking him to kill her!' _Was she being brave? Or was she just insane?

Sesshoumaru steadily lowered her back towards the ground, allowing the tips of her toes to graze the ground. With his hand still around her neck, he curiously looked her up and down and ever so slowly, he began to loosen his grip. Immediately, she keeled over and tried to get as much oxygen into her lungs as possible. He looked at her pathetic and weak form, gasping for air. "_She wasn't bad looking as a hanyou",_ he thought. With a decisive stare, he turned his back towards her. "Come," he said over his shoulder.

"What?" she responded hoarsely as she massaged her neck.

"I will not repeat myself," he said in a threatening voice. "For sparing your life, you will follow me wherever I go. You will be mine."

In truth, he was testing her. She had a fire in her that refused to go out, and he liked a challenge.

She took a deep breath, and yelled as best as she could with her throbbing throat and lungs, "Like hell I will!"

Sesshoumaru turned around to face her. His stare pinned her to her spot. He walked towards her, taking each step at an agonizingly slow pace. Kagome used the tree to help her stand up as quickly as possible and tried to hide her confusion and emotions, but her eyes showed everything: anger, anxiety, and most of all, fear. _What the hell was he going to do?_

When he finally reached her, he quickly and forcefully placed one hand under her chin and the other around her waist, and pressed his lips upon hers. Kagome struggled against his hold and pushed with all her might against his chest, but he would NOT budge. This was like a bad nightmare happening again! After yesterday, she had learned her lesson. She concentrated on her hands against Sesshoumaru's chest, and collected her Miko powers in one forceful shove. The surprised youkai was thrown 10 feet away, but without a scratch; he had gotten away just in time. He was angry at first that she dared to strike him, but when he saw the look in her eye, he knew whatever he did would be useless. She was using every fiber of her being to stay away from him and live. In hindsight, he probably should have not just almost tried to kill her.

"I have previous engagements I must attend to in the next few days, so you do not have to come with me now. But rest assured, I will be back for you." And with those words, he disappeared into the clouds. Kagome stood for a moment longer, until her legs finally gave out, and she collapsed onto her hands and knees from exhaustion and surprise.

Tears began to fall from her eyes. The stress from the past two days had been piling up and she could not take anymore. She gripped the ground with all her strength and let her emotions pour out.

Kagome stiffened as she felt arms embracing her, forcing her head into the comforts of a pair of broad shoulders. She did not dare look at the figure's face. "Don't cry, mate. From now on, I won't let anyone else touch you," said the voice from last night. Kagome put her hands on his chest and tried to push him away, but her attempt was futile. She was low on energy again, and she was an emotional wreck. There was no way in hell she could focus her mind. He took her into his arms and held on tight. He rubbed her back and purred, trying to soothe her as much as possible.

She continued her ineffective pushing, '_Why is this happening to me? Two youkais? And Kouga? That makes three! And the one I want I can't have.' _*_**Ah, the irony**_*Here she was, in the middle of an open field, in the arms of another she barely knew, crying.

After more minutes of pointless wriggling and struggling, she did finally calm down and recuperate some. When he could tell she was feeling better, he loosened his arms and looked her in the eyes. "Are you alright?" he asked with concern. Kagome looked up confused, and nodded.

"I should go now." She sniffled and slowly stood up. "Please, just leave me alone."

"I'm sorry, but I won't. Not with that dog chasing you." He tossed his head in the direction Sesshoumaru had left.

Kagome paused, then whispered, "I'm sorry."

He looked down at her with confusion. Had she wronged him? It was not her fault the dog took advantage of her. "For what?" he asked with his raised eyebrow.

Kagome simply closed her eyes, and concentrated her entire body to use her regained energy to blast him into a nearby boulder. She dashed as fast as she could towards the direction of the well. She was leaving this crazy world.

~~~End of chapter~~~

~~~^~~~^~~~ Author's Note: thanks again! ~~~^~~~^~~~


	4. CH4

**It all started with a Nameless Beauty**

~~~^~~~^~~~A/N: I changed a couple grammar mistakes from the first few chapters! Just FYI. ~~~^~~~^~~~

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Yu Yu Hakusho to Inuyasha. (I just make them do as I say). MUAHHAA!

~~~Chapter 4~~~

Crashing into the boulder, Youko stood up again, and chased after her. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. He would not lose her so easily. He caught up with her and tackled her to the ground, pinning her arms to her side and looking into her tear-stained face. "Why are you running away? I said I would protect you!" He half asked, half yelled.

"Why don't you understand? I want to be my own person, not _owned_ by someone. All I want to do is be myself!" She struggled to get free. "Let me go!" she grunted.

Her fire had reignited, but Youko did not care. He stood up from the ground, dragging her up with him. Kagome looked at him coldly, and continued yelling and pushing, but Youko paid her no attention. He simply bent down and lifted her onto his shoulder like his kill being brought back to camp. Kagome immediately stiffened, and then redoubled her efforts in getting free. "JUST LET ME GO! PLEASE! I don't belong here!"

He rolled his eyes, "Didn't I tell you, you're mine now? You belong WITH ME." He began to walk away from the well, and Kagome could see her freedom slipping further and further away. Gradually, he picked up his pace and was running towards the forest at an incredible rate. Kagome continued to struggle, but with his constantly increasing speed, she could barely keep balance! She tried to look at where they were headed, but everything was passing by so quickly she had lost track. The only thing she knew was that if she couldn't get free soon, she would have no idea how to get back. She had to do something! She looked down at her predicament, and at his arm wrapping her legs to his chest. She pushed herself up from her dangling position to a semi-upright stance. She tried to reach around and grab at his arm but every attempt was foiled by a sudden jerk in his shoulders. Goddamnit. Her physical strength was useless. She needed her miko powers.

Once more, she closed her eyes, concentrating on the power somewhere deep inside of her. She begged Kami, and grasped at any energy she could find. She pressed both hands against his back, and pushed with all her might.

The pink light did not come. Only darkness.

Kagome groggily awoke to find herself lying on her side, on a very comfortable mattress. She thought of rubbing the sleep from her eyes, but decided against it, and went back into her slumber. Her mom would come get her later. Her mother would always barge in through the door to tell her she was going to be late for school for the hundredth time.

After what seemed like hours, no one had not come. Where was she? Kagome opened her eyes fully, only to find out she was not on her bed with her pink polka-dotted comforter. She was not even in a house! Her eyes had focused quickly and easily adjusted to the dark. _Her vision was fantastic in the dark!_ She stayed as still as possible to avoid being discovered and quickly took in her surroundings. From her observations of the non-refined and solid rock walls, she could tell they were in some sort of cave. She could also hear running water, maybe there was a spring nearby? The room itself was full of priceless antiques, paintings, and expensive cloth, and no soul in sight.

She stealthily rose from the futon, trying to avoid making any sudden movements or noise. But just as she began to lift her body from the futon, she felt something around her hips. It clung to her and would not budge. Slowly, she looked over her shoulder and saw her kidnapper. Her eyes were as big as saucers. '_What in the world am I doing in bed with him? OK, OK. Calm down, Kagome. He's asleep. You can sneak away.' _But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, amber eyes stared up at her. "So I see you're finally awake, Kagome, or should I say _future mate_?" he said with his golden eyes glowing in the darkness. Kagome struggled again, trying to get out from under the blanket with the perverted fox inside. His arm was like steel! This was definitely too close for comfort and she needed out, NOW.

He looked at her, amused. He lifted his arm and watched her scurry to her feet in the blink of an eye. Immediately, she went for the door, which was unfortunately, or fortunately for the fox, locked. Kagome abruptly turned around and leaned against the door for support. '_I'm stuck in a room with a demon who wants me as his mate. What am I supposed to do now?' _The fox broke the silence, "Don't worry, I'm not going to bite," he said with a sly grin. They stared at each other a bit longer. "But seriously, I only locked the door to prevent people from coming in, not you from going out."

"Oh really?" Kagome asked disbelievingly, "Then would you care to explain why?"

"Certainly," he responded, standing up from the floor, "My name is Youko Kurama," he bowed slightly, "and I am the leader of a group of thieves- who are outside. They wouldn't think twice about taking you." His eyes trailed her body, from head to toe, "Look at you. Even though you're a hanyou, you're beautiful. My men would fight over you until no one was left standing. I wouldn't want that, now would I? If that happened, I wouldn't have a clan." Kagome crinkled her nose at the way he said "hanyou", but then quickly blushed a deep red. She looked downwards. Thank Kami she could hide in the darkness.

While she was preoccupied looking at the floor, Youko had suddenly appeared directly in front of her. "I hope you like it here. You are going to stay here for quite a long time, so you should make yourself comfortable." Kagome's eyes began to turn red, rage building up in her. "How many times do I have to tell you! I am not yours and never will be!" Youko only smirked and said, "Trust me. You will." He quickly kissed her on her lips, and in her moment of surprise, he unlocked the door to slip outside. Not until she heard the lock click did she realize she had just been had.

~~~End of chapter~~~

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. Next one has some lime. I hope that makes up for it. :P


	5. CH5

**It All Started With a Nameless Beauty**

~~~Chapter 5~~~

~~^~~~^~~~ Author's Note: **WARNING! WARNING**! **LIME** ahead. Read at own risk! ~~~^~~~^~~~

Kagome pounded at the door repeatedly, but the door seemed to hold strong, even with her enhanced strength. How the hell did he manage to do that? She surrendered again, and sat back down on the futon. She WAS still tired…

She decided to look around the room for something comfortable to wear. She didn't want to fuss with her school uniform, so she looked inside the many trunks of expensive cloth and came upon a white sleeping yukata, perfect to take a nap in.

She took off her shoes and socks, and then proceeded disrobing her top, then skirt. Just as she was about to take off her bra, Youko decided to swing open the door, tray in hand. _What perfect timing_. Youko practically gawked at her body. He was in a dream, until she yelled "Hentai!" throwing anything hard she could get her hands on. Youko easily dodged the items, not caring if they were priceless treasures. He almost dropped the tray he was holding, but made the quick decision to set it down as quickly as he could, and locked the door, heading straight for Kagome.

In a flash, he had charged towards her and pushed her down upon the futon they had been sleeping on moments before. "You have no idea how enticing you look right now," he said in a slow enticing voice, "I could probably eat you up right now." Kagome shivered underneath him and was scared out of her mind. She was being straddled by a full-grown male youkai, in only her underwear, deep inside a cave, in Feudal Japan. _This was not good._ She could feel his breath on her skin as he spoke, "I don't know what the heck it is you're wearing, but you look so sexy."

His words caused a chill to go up her spine. _What the hell_? She never felt this way before, but only because she was never in this kind of position, figuratively, as well as literally. Immediately her mind told her to get up and run away. She quickly followed her brain's instructions and pushed herself up from the ground, but before she could even lift her head up from the floor, Youko had taken her arms and pinned them above her head, effectively keeping her on the futon. With both of her wrists secure in just one of his large hands, Kagome was at his mercy. His eyes had a feral look, and she began to panic. Her heart felt like it was about to explode and her breaths were getting exponentially shorter. If she didn't calm down soon, she was sure she would pass out or die right there on the spot! She kept looking into his eyes, hoping he would go back to the teasing and light-hearted fox he had been earlier, but nothing changed. His stare continued to be predatory.

Kagome could not bear to look into his eyes any longer. She knew if she continued, she would have a full blown panic attack. She looked upward, trying to think of something else, anything to keep her sight and thoughts away from Youko. But it did little. She quickly squeezed her eyes shut. She needed to try to calm herself, and to think of a way to get out of her predicament.

Kagome consciously took in slow deep breaths, and it seemed to be working. Her heart rate began to slow and was almost at a normal level, until she felt something wet along her neck. Her eyes immediately sprang open, and her heart resumed its earlier rapid tempo. Youko's head was at her neck, and he had just dragged his tongue along her collarbone and neck. She needed to stop this! Kagome tried to scramble again, but her struggles had little effect on him. He continued to taste her anywhere and everywhere he could reach without loosening his hold. He started at her shoulder, and moved upwards towards her cheek, and then dove into her hair. He took deep long breaths, and continued to drink her in. He was going excruciatingly slow, relishing her essence, until he ended at her triangle ears, where he began to nibble, making her unexpectedly mew.

He took his lips off of her for a millisecond, chuckled at her innocence, and continued with his onslaught.

"Oh my god!" she thought. Kagome was mortified at the sound that escaped her lips. She hated how she practically purred, just like a bitch would have. She was not submissive! But his caresses had stirred something within her, and she almost did not want him to stop, yet at the same time, she did. She was scared out of her mind, but her body wanted to give in to the new sensations. She pulled her head away, a last attempt to stop the onslaught of confusing emotions, but his free hand immediately grabbed the nape of her neck, effectively extinguishing any thought of escape.

He continued tasting her, savoring her. 'What was he doing?' She could only assume it was a demon thing, and stayed as still as she could. He noticed her lack of response, and tightened his grip behind her neck, causing her to body to arch, pushing her body deeper into his. He loved the feel of her against him and purred into her. _She felt so good! _

After what seemed like an eternity, he had stopped, and raised his head to meet her gaze. His eyes were questioning, almost as if he was asking for permission to go on. She quickly closed her eyes again. _This couldn't be happening! She wanted to disappear! Why couldn't the earth open up and swallow her right then?_

To her surprise, when her eyes closed, his ministrations stopped. 'Did something happen to him? Is he changing his mind? Is he going to let me go?' she wondered. After several minutes of nothing, she tentatively opened her eyes, peering through her eyelashes. He was still there, looking at her. She was thoroughly confused, and fully opened her eyes to get a better view of him. As soon as she did so, he lowered his head towards hers and clamped down on her lower lip, nibbling lightly. This caused her to moan again. _Damn it!_ She needed to stop that, and he needed to stop surprising her! The sound that escaped her lips was everything he wanted and needed—it was the sign of compliance. He delved deeper into her mouth and tasted honey – something he was already very fond of.

His kisses were light at first, testing the waters, and he could tell she was becoming less tense. He had somehow chipped away at her resolve, and knew if he went a bit further, she would be his. Finally, he felt her tentatively begin to kiss him back, sending him completely over the edge. The hand on her neck began to travel downward, along her neck, then further, along her collarbone. He began to move with more pressure, more longing. His hand traveled lower, brushing past her breasts, massaging her hip and then her inner thigh. The moment she felt his touch on her legs, she snapped back to reality. _What the hell was she doing? She barely knew this man!_ She began to thrash wildly, desperately attempting to throw him off of her, and to get away. Why weren't her _Miko_ powers working?

Youko, immediately noticed the sudden change in attitude, and halted.

"Get off of me." Kagome panted.

He looked at her, confused, "Why? You were enjoying yourself just as much as I was." He kissed her neck.

"Please!" She cried, "I'm not ready! I'm too young! Please. Please just get off! I can- I can barely breathe."

Youko lifted his body from hers, but didn't completely separate. He yearned for her, and she yearned for him, what was the problem?

"Kagome," Youko whispered, "I've never felt this way about anyone before. You don't understand what I'm feeling right now. I want you. Can't you feel?" he said as he pressed his hips into hers. Her eyes widened as she felt something very large and hard pressing into her own hips.

Tears began to spill from her eyes. "Have you ever considered how I feel?" she started, "I don't even know you! Heck, YOU don't even know ME!" she said. "Besides, you're a man of honor. You wouldn't force yourself on someone unwilling," she paused. "Right?" she said, looking up at him with her big blue eyes.

He couldn't force himself on someone so innocent and cute! Her pleading eyes could almost push him past the point of no return, but then he remembered her wild struggles, "You're right."

He got up, his bangs covering his eyes, "I- I originally came here to bring you some food, and to show you where you could find more comfortable attire to wear, but you seemed to have found it," he said, "I won't disturb you for the rest of the night. P-Please forgive me for entering without knocking. I should have been more considerate," and with that, he left.

Kagome could feel a pang in her heart. Unsure about what she had done. She knew she did the right thing, but why did she feel so guilty? And why did their little escapade feel so right? She could have stopped him in the very beginning, but she let him continue this far. Why? Trying to get the questions out of her head, she quickly changed into the sleeping yukata and escaped into the land of dreams, too exhausted by the day's activities.

* * *

Youko, on the other hand, could not sleep; he had too many things on his mind or one person with many issues on his mind. He didn't understand how he suddenly changed overnight from the cold ruthless thief Youko, to the caring, protective, and _stuttering_ pup! It was almost impossible to believe. His clan was giving him strange looks as to why he was acting so strangely.

"Ugh!" He groaned. He needed to get his mind clear before thinking again. He needed some fresh air, if he happened to kill something on the way, then so be it.

~~~End of Chapter~~~

A/N #1: *BLUSHHHH*

A/N #2: I need help with how to end this story! (will Youko meet her in the future as Kurama? Hmmm…. Any suggestion is welcome! )


	6. CH6

**It all started with a Nameless Beauty**

~~~^~~~Any help on how to end this story would be greatly appreciated! ~~~^~~~

~~~Chapter 6~~~

Kagome's eyes fluttered open. She was still in the cave. Damn! She had thought maybe it was a bad dream, or maybe a _hot_ bad dream. She blushed and covered her face with her hands, remembering Youko and what had transpired the night before. She was horrified by what she did, or lack of what she did. She LET him do those things to her. "Ugh!" she groaned. She needed to stop moping. She pushed herself up from the futon and looked around her. Yup, she was still securely locked in his room.

She took her time to get out from under the blankets. She needed to figure out a way to escape, or maybe a way to incapacitate him when he entered. She needed a plan! She walked over to her school uniform, and began to take off her sleepwear, until she remembered what had happened just a few hours before. She frowned. She did NOT want a repeat performance. She quickly reached out with her Miko senses, coming up with nothing, and to be doubly sure she concentrated on her enhanced hearing, not a sound. Quickly, she pulled off her yukata and slipped into her clothes. No one had peeped in on her. Good.

Scanning the room, she searched for a weapon, anything that could help her get out of that damned hole! After looking for what seemed like hours, she slumped down onto the futon. It was useless.

Almost as if on cue, she felt something uncomfortable dig into her leg. "What in the..?" She reached under the blankets to find a set of keys. Kagome's eyes widened. It was like a sign from Kami! Youko was probably too preoccupied last night to realize he had dropped it. Her glee suddenly turned to paranoia. Crap! That would mean he would notice that they were missing any minute now. There was no time for a plan. Just. Get. Out.

She ran towards the door and tried out the many keys before picking the correct one to lead her to her freedom. Again, she used her miko senses to check for any immediate signs of danger. She could barely make it out, but the clan was close! How did she not sense them before? She suspiciously looked at the door to Youko's room. Did he..? Miko-proof? Was that possible? There was no time to dwell. She needed out.

She made a run for it. She ran towards where she could hear the wind blowing and the sounds of birds chirping. After reaching the end of a long hallway, she came to an immediate halt. Crap! Her eyes had not fully adjusted yet from the cave to the bright outdoors, and she had blindly walked into a large group of youkai. When they saw her, they immediately stood on guard. They turned toward their common enemy and formed a semi circle giving her a choice of fighting them all or to retreat back into the cave. Being her new-hanyou-stubborn self, she stood her ground and took the defensive position. The surrounding youkai all looked at her and chuckled, "Aw, look. Little Miss Half-Breed wants to fight," a youkai said with several chuckles following after him.

"What? You think I can't take you? Pft! Ten minutes, TOPS." Kagome spat.

The same youkai came charging towards her, fists drawn, "You mock me?" Kagome sidestepped and grabbed his wrist and using his own force, twisted his arm and flipped him onto his back. "You started it," Kagome responded.

Upon seeing how easily she had incapacitated their clan member, the other youkai did not hold back.

They came charging at her one after another, some with weapons, others only using their fists and feet, non with murderous intent. She should probably thank Youko for that. He didn't want anyone to harm "his property". HA! He would regret it.

She easily blocked their half-hearted attacks, and with small concentrated amounts of miko energy in her arms and legs, she effortlessly incapacitated any oncoming attackers. As time wore on, she picked up dropped weapons to spare her arms and legs from more bruises. She even managed to pick up some kunai, expertly flicking each blade into vital areas of each body, immobilizing her opponents. Her _Miko powers_ also gave her a slight edge on speed and precision, and she avoided killing any of them; all she wanted was to run away, and get back to the well.

Within half an hour most of the demons were put down, and she barely broke a sweat! The only demons left were the weaker ones who just stayed put or hid from her. '_Hmph. I showed THEM who's boss.' _She smiled.

Kagome stealthily went around to all of the youkai scanning them one by one, ensuring no one was dying, and gathering up any weapons she could carry, especially the handy kunai she had used earlier. As she began to leave, her good nature got the better of her and she turned back to help those who were more seriously injured. She even apologized to a few for causing any trouble, _'but they DID deserve it' _she thought.

After tending to their wounds, she left as quickly as she could deeper into the woods, trying to avoid Youko for a VERY long time.

~~~End of chapter~~~

~~~^~~~^~~~ Author's Note: SOOOOOOO sorry that this chapter is short, but I couldn't mix this with the next chapter! Then the chapter would be REALLY long. ~~~^~~~^~~~


	7. CH7

**It all started with a Nameless Beauty**

~~~Chapter 7~~~

After trekking through the forest for several hours, Kagome was tired. _Was she even heading in the right direction_? The quiet and monotony of her jogging were wearing on her, but the lack of disturbances was also putting her on edge.

Out of nowhere, she had picked up a scent, something familiar but also very foreign. She silently jumped up into to the trees and hopped from branch to branch until she was able to get a good view of the surrounding area. When she was far up enough to be hidden by the foliage, she began hopping from tree to tree. She would find the source.

Cleverly, she leapt onto a large branch with an unobstructed view into a clearing of the forest. There, she waited. As if on cue, she began to make out sounds of murmurs and bickering. And not before long, two dark figures appeared from the edges of the trees.

"What the hell! I thought you knew where we were going!" a feminine voice said accusingly.

"But Sango, I swear this is the right way," another voice whined.

Kagome immediately perked up, _Sango_? Was it _her_ Sango?

The voice continued, "Don't be scared. I promise I will protect you. I swea- , "

Suddenly, a **loud** slap echoed through the entire forest.

"KYAHH! HENTAAAAIII!" the woman yelled.

_Even if that wasn't Sango, that slap was definitely for Miroku!_

Kagome continued to stare into the clearing. She could only make out their silhouettes, but when she looked further back she could see two smaller figures, a kitsune cub and fire cat youkai. It HAD to be Miroku and Sango!

Kagome beamed and giggled, inadvertently bringing the attention of the group to her. Kagome saw the four of them tilt their heads upward, and immediately realized her mistake. Their demeanor had quickly transformed from light-hearted to defensive.

_Shit! She needed to tell them it was her! _

With her demon hunter instincts, Sango already had her weapon out of its sling and in her hands ready to attack. Kagome quickly tried to raise her arms to surrender, but as soon as she budged, Sango had swung the giant boomerang _hiraikotsu. _

Kagome deftly jumped from her high perch just as the weapon had cleanly sliced off the branch. _WOW_ Sango was scary!

Again, Kagome raised her arms, but every attempt she made to make peace led to either Sango's boomerang or Miroku's charms heading straight for her head. She could not get close enough!

With the constant onslaught of attacks, Kagome quickly fled. She needed a plan. When they weren't so determined to kill her, she would come back and tell them who she was. As she took to the branches to leave, she made one last look to avoid being hit, only to come up the sight of Sango on Kirara's back following closely behind.

"What the hell!", Kagome thought. What was she supposed to do now?

Kagome continued to flee, but Sango seemed determined to not let her go. UGHHH!

There was nothing left to do, Sango was not giving up. She would just have to hope for the best.

Coming up on a larger clearing with no more trees to protect her, Kagome came down from the branches, and landed directly in front of Kirara's path. As quickly as she could, she raised both of her hands up and held up two fingers in the shape of a V and smiled.

Immediately, Kirara halted in her steps and Sango yelled, "KAGOME!"

Thank GOD, Sango could tell it was her. No one else in this era knew anything about posing with peace signs, so it had become _Kagome's_ signature.

"SANGO!" Kagome ran up to her and pulled her from Kirara's back. Sango could only now see the school uniform Kagome was wearing. It was the same red, green and white shirt, and too-short skirt she had always worn.

Sango stood there in disbelief. The resemblance between Kagome and the demon in front of her was uncanny, "Is that _really_ you, Kagome? What happened?"

Kagome couldn't put much into words at the moment, she was just too happy to see a familiar face and pulled Sango deeper into a HUGE hug, "Nothing much, just changed into a hanyou by a flowe-HENTAI!" She whipped around and smacked the owner of the hand that had groped her.

There stood Miroku, with matching red handprints on his cheeks, smiling with a glint in his eye. Recovering quickly from the impact, he took up both of Kagome's hands and spoke in a loving voice, "Will you please bear my child?"

Kagome looked on in amusement and slight annoyance, "Miroku-sama, you already asked me this once before and my answer is still the same. NO!"

Miroku stared at the demoness before him in confusion, "Excuse me, but have we met before?"

"Didn't you hear what she JUST said, Houshi-sama?" Sango butted in.

"I was too far behind to hear anything. When I reached this area, I found you two embracing," he whined.

"Ugh," Sango sighed, "It's KA-GO-ME!"

"Eh?" Miroku stared at her with doubt. "But this youkai's body is fuller," he said while holding out both of his hands skimming Kagome's hourglass figure, emphasizing his point.

"HENTAI!" the girls shouted simultaneously, both slapping him again, giving him darker handprints on both sides of his face.

Kagome laughed, but then quickly quieted and blushed. She _had_ noticed changes in her body, but she hadn't realized it was so obvious! Her breasts were bigger and her hips were fuller, making her already revealing school uniform, even more scandalous. She sighed, no wonder youkai were going after her like crazy.

"Miroku-sama," Kagome started, "it really is me. Kagome from the future, the bone eater's well. Can't you tell?" She waited for his reaction, "I think the transformation from human to hanyou changed my figure as a side effect. But other than those slight alterations and my enhanced senses, I'm still the same old Kagome!"

After the information processed through his head, Shippou popped out from the bushes and stared at her. "Kagome! Kagome!" He leapt into her arms and pulled himself into her. "I missed you!" he cried. "Shippou? You still recognize me?" Kagome asked. "Of course! You still smell the same," he breathed her in deeply, "Actually, you smell better!" He laughed.

"And _you_, Shippou," she sniffed, "smell like the forest on a rainy day, and like a…. fox." She chuckled. "Do all youkai have a certain scent?" she asked, genuinely curious. Shippou nodded and snuggled into her chest, closing his eyes and breathing her in.

With a lot of new information to swallow, they all decided to set up camp and to rest up for the evening. Sango and Miroku had learned about Kagome's transformation and Kaede's search for a cure, and Kagome learned that Inuyasha was accompanying them, but had taken a detour to search for more news about jewel shards.

By the time they finished exchanging information, the sun had begun to set and the night quickly followed. Miroku and Sango prepared their sleeping arrangements, while Kagome volunteered to go hunt. With her new enhanced night-vision, she would be the best candidate to hunt in the dark. Letting Shippou down onto a sleeping bag, she set off into the denser part of the woods hoping to find a boar or deer.

As she came upon the scent of some game, she crouched down low behind some bushes. They were around here somewhere. She could smell them close by. All she had to do was wait.

After only five minutes did she hear a rustle to her right.

~~~End of chapter~~~

~~~^~~~^~~~Author's Note: Sorry… I thought this chapter would be longer… _ don't kill me. AGAIN! I need help on how to end this storyyyy! D: ~~~^~~~^~~~


	8. CH8

**It all started with a Nameless Beauty**

~~~^~~~^~~~ A/N: ENJOY! ***^***^***

~~~Chapter 8~~~

Youko sat upon a branch, high up in the forest. As he looked at the endless amount of trees, a nagging feeling persisted in the back of his mind. It was always the same tingling as if he had forgotten something.

Breathing in the cool crisp air of nature around him, he finally decided to go check up on his "catch." He easily jumped from the tree and started off towards his lair.

On the way there, he reached inside his pockets only to discover his keys were missing. His eyes widened and he mentally cursed himself. With this newly developed information, he sprinted top-speed toward the cave, where he found his clan scattered all over the grounds.

"How in the WORLD did this happen!" He yelled.

He knew his men were not the best of fighters, but he also knew they were not easily overpowered. Was it because he told them not to harm her? He stalked towards one of his more coherent men, and grabbed him by the collar, "What happened here?" He tried not to yell.

"It was that girl you brought back. She just came out of the cave, and we tried to keep her inside. B-But she wouldn't listen!" he stammered, "She just started charging at us! N-No one could stop her without hurting her!" he paused again looking at his leader's face. Trying to placate his rage, he continued, "No one was killed though. She tended our wounds and made sure everyone was well before leaving".

Youko digested the information and asked very slowly, trying not to lose his temper any more. "Do you know," he breathed in, "where she went?"

"She headed west I think; she seemed like she was looking for someone. She sniffed the air before she left."

Without another word, Youko dropped his comrade and scowled, heading towards the setting sun. _God damn it! He shouldn't have just made HIS room Miko-proof. He should have done it to the whole cave!_

* * *

Inuyasha sped across the forest floor, catching the scent of his companions. He had gotten a little side-tracked earlier.

An aroma lingered in the air, an aroma that enticed him. "Kagome's back!", thought Inuyasha. "Finally!" But as he followed the trail, he came upon another scent not nearly as nice as the first.

Arriving upon a clearing in the middle of the forest, his eyes rested upon a lone figure in white. There stood his half-brother with his back towards him, as if he was ignoring for him.

"Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha yelled. "Why the HELL do you smell like Kagome?"

Sesshoumaru simply glanced over his shoulder, and returned his head back to its original position. "It is of no concern to you."

Inuyasha stared back, and retaliated. "What do you mean 'of no concern to me'? Anything that has to do with Kagome, has to do with me!" he yelled.

"I don't see a mark on her, Inuyasha. She is not yours, and she is not mine, but I will be sure to change that."

Inuyasha's eyes flashed red with rage that threatened to spill over. He then unsheathed _Tetsusaiga_ and swung it full force at Sesshoumaru, determined to slice him in half. "_Kagome was HIS,"_ he thought, "and no one would take her away."

His attack was easily blocked my Sesshoumaru's Toukijin. The swords clashed, over and over again. It looked like there was no end to their fight, or at least until Sesshoumaru took to his cloud and floated away. He left partly because of boredom and partly because he smelled a certain someone nearby. He cursed at himself for being such a fool, fighting with his brother like a pup. It made him lose track of his surroundings.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, was not as calm as his brother. He stood there, sword in hand, staring at Sesshoumaru's shrinking form. "Come back here and fight me! Are you a coward?" he yelled. When his brother paid him no heed, he scowled. 'Why did he want Kagome? She was human! And why did he leave so suddenly?' Not until he was out of sight did Inuyasha start to calm down. Taking deep breaths to recuperate his strength, he noticed something in the air, Kagome was near!

* * *

She was prepared for anything that would come out, boar, rabbit. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins. She needed to hunt. Her animal instincts were taking over. The thought of a predator chasing its prey was more exhilarating than she thought possible.

She waited silently in the shadows until she heard the rustle again to her right.

But just as suddenly, another was heard to her left, and another in front of her. Her head spun from paranoia, and also in confusion. Was she the one being hunted? _Did youkai even hunt in groups?_

Her thoughts were shoved out of her mind when instinct told her to run. She had learned her lesson and knew she needed to listen to them. Hopping into the trees, she ran at full speed. Her fear seemed to have dulled all her senses. She couldn't think straight. With panic blurring everything, she ran with three figures following closely behind.

She knew it was the wrong decision, but she did it anyways, she turned her head to see who or what was behind her. But as her head turned, her foot missed a branch and she fell to the floor.

She lay, belly-up, staring at the sky. Nothing was registering in her mind. Why wasn't she running? Wasn't she being chased? As if on cue, the three pursuers surrounded her.

Kagome lifted her head off the ground, trying to regain her sense of surrounding and balance. As soon as her eyes focused, they widened slowly with surprise. "WHAT!"

She reached for three rocks nearby, threw one at each of them and abruptly stood up. Charging at the one in white, she yelled, "What the HELL are you doing scaring me like THAT!" Anger was clearly written on her face. She punched him in the face and proceeded to the next one, the one with armor. With adrenaline and _miko _powers still pumping in her veins she hit him in the gut, "And YOU! What the HELL are you trying to do! Kill me? You guys scared the SHIT out of me! I thought you WANTED me! I didn't think you wanted me DEAD!"

Last but not least, she stepped towards the one in red with a finger pointed, "And YOU!" her tone softened, "How are you?"

"U-um, I-I'm fine." Inuyasha replied. "Anyone who can beat Sesshoumaru is on my good side!" he tried to add some humor to impress her, as well as calm her down.

Youko clutched his face and leaned against a tree for support, while Sesshoumaru was kneeling on the floor holding his stomach. '_Boy did that girl have a punch! How did she even touch this Sesshoumaru? Let alone harm me?'_

Inuyasha just stared on at the girl that just beat the shit out of his brother and another youkai. She was beautiful and a hanyou to top it off!

"That wasn't very funny, Inuyasha." She replied.

Inuyasha stared in disbelief, just as Sango and Miroku did earlier that day.

"Wait, what?" he sniffed the air around her, "Kagome? Is that REALLY YOU? But you're a hanyou! What happened?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you when I have time. Or I could tell you when we go hunt. I told the others that I would go get food."

"Hold it! How do I know you're REALLY Kagome. You could be a fraud and lead me into some sort of trap."

"Um…" she thought with her finger tapping her mouth, drawing the three pairs of eyes to her luscious lips. "Ah-ha!" she exclaimed. Her finger now pointing at his neck, "I could always say the command for those rosary beads…" Kagome smiled.

Inuyasha gulped, "That's alright. I believe you… hehe…."

Before they walked away, Kagome said out loud to no one in particular, "I am my own being, and belong to no one. And NO ONE will change that." Inuyasha looked on at the two defeated youkai, then back at Kagome, who had already started walking back to camp. Together, the two hanyous walked side by side chatting about recent events.

Little did the pair know that the two full demons had recovered and would not be refused. Kagome, too preoccupied telling her story, and Inuyasha, too confused about the sudden changes, did not notice the approaching demons.

One of Kagome's slender arms was suddenly seized by the clawed hand of a kitsune, and the other by an inu youkai.

~~~End of chapter~~~

~~~*~~~*~~~ Author's note: Sorry for the delay! And for such a short chapter. Also, did you notice the "no one in particular" in there? THAT WAS ME! Hahaaa. XD ~~~*~~~*~~~


	9. CH9

It all started with a Nameless Beauty

~~~Chapter 9~~~

Kagome stopped in her tracks. She looked to her left and mustered her most threatening glare. Sesshoumaru held his emotionless mask, but his eyes told a very different story. Gold and red danced dangerously within his gaze. He was angry with her. For rejecting him or for hitting him she did not know.

Didn't she understand that SHE was the submissive one? Females were ALWAYS overpowered by the males. It had been that way for all of time and would NOT change. But then perhaps this was the very reason he wanted her so?

When her glare did nothing but elicit an even stronger grip from the inu youkai, Kagome winced and turned to her right. Hopefully this side would prove easier.

As soon as she turned and saw Youko's face, her demeanor immediately changed from anger to guilt. His eyes showed something she could not quite decipher, but whatever it was, she could feel it run across her skin. His eyes would dash around, left to right, up then down. Was it _sadness_?

His mind was whirling full of questions that had formed when he had discovered she was missing. Why did she leave him? Did he not promise to protect her? Did he not show her how he felt? How was it that one **stupid hanyou girl** could do this him? He shook his head. No. He would not allow his emotions to overpower him.

Inuyasha stood there next to Kagome, staring at the two holding her wrists. His already boiling blood could not take any more. "What the HELL do you think you guys are doing! Get your filthy paws off of her!" he shouted.

Kagome looked at him, "Thank you… for being so protective, Inuyasha. But I can take care of this myself," she said softly, "And I would also appreciate it, if you wouldn't yell." She flattened her ears to her head. "My hearing is really sensitive now," she pouted.

Inuyasha blushed and backed away. "Sorry," he muttered. Crap! He was caught in the act of taking care of _his_ Kagome!

"Let go of me," she said to the two full blooded demons and waited.

"Please," she added as an after thought.

Youko paused only for a moment, and then let go of her wrist. Sesshoumaru on the other hand did not comply with her request. His grip still held strong.

He looked her dead in the eyes. It was a blatant refusal.

Kagome used her newly released hand and swiped at him with her claws. If he would not do it willingly, she would _make _him. Just as she was about to strike him, he caught her wrist with his free hand. Crap.

Kagome and Sesshoumaru stood, her wrists in his hands.

"You will come with me," Sesshoumaru said, jerking her away from the other two males.

Kagome lurched forward a step, and then yanked her arms back to stop him. She looked him up and down with one eyebrow slightly higher than the other, and he immediately responded, "This Sesshoumaru, the Lord of the Western Lands, commands you, an inferior being trespassing on MY territory, to follow me. You are still in my debt."

Kagome continued to stare at him. This was unbelievable! She tried to calm her nerves by counting backwards from ten, thinking of any place better than where she was, or any other method she could think of. But NOTHING worked. Irritation was clearly visible in every fiber of her body.

"My DEAR Sesshoumaru-sama," she began with thick sarcasm, "I would LOVE to follow you around and be at your ankles waiting to serve you, but I have a responsibility where I must remain free and travel with my companions," she said glancing in the general direction of Inuyasha and Youko.

Hearing her comment, the taiyoukai went into a frenzy. The red in his eyes had completely taken over and he was overcome with the only emotion he was comfortable with, anger. She would still defy him even if she was in his arms where in any given time, he could kill her?

He looked over her shoulder towards the other two demons. "If you don't have any companions, you could come with me," he looked at her menacingly, "Isn't that right?"

Not waiting for an answer, he let go of her wrists and stormed towards his half-brother with claws drawn. Completely taken by surprise, Inuyasha could not dodge quickly enough. Inuyasha felt the larger youkai's claws dig deep into his flesh, and then almost immediately, knew his lack of attention had cost him. He looked and winced at the poison seeping through his red _fire rat_ _haori_ into his chest. Shit!

Sesshoumaru did not wait for him to recover and charged again, but before he could finish the job, Kagome shoved Inuyasha to the side, just out of Sesshoumaru's reach. Quickly, Kagome scrambled up from the floor and dragged Inuyasha as best as she could. She needed him to stay alive!

She sat him beside a tree away from danger and stood tall. She slowly turned around to face Sesshoumaru. "If you want me to go with you, then your fight is with me!" she yelled with a growl in her throat_. _

Why would the Lord of the Western Lands listen to a measly hanyou girl? He glanced at her and quickly turned his head, scanning the forest for the fox.

The poison in Inuyasha's body had already begun to circulate. It wouldn't take long for the poison to take effect, to paralyze him from the outside in. If it didn't kill him now, it would soon enough.

"_One down, one to go_,"Sesshoumaru thought.

Sesshoumaru stretched out his hand, and before Kagome's eyes, a whip appeared out of thin air, "Come out, fox! Or do you want to be hunted like the animal you are?"

Immediately, Youko stepped out in the open wielding a whip as well. From what Kagome could see, his weapon was similar to a vine. Where had that come from? And how would _that_ defeat Sesshoumaru?

"Youko! Get away! I'll deal with him!" Kagome yelled.

Both youkais ignored her. Their gazes showed that only one thing was on their minds. Kill.

The two stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, neither of them moving. Kagome had no idea what the hell they were doing. But from what she could see, she guessed that they were sizing each other up. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she knew instinctively to not move. If she did anything out of line, she knew she could be killed.

By her feet, Inuyasha groaned in pain and struggled to stay conscious. "Run Kagome!" he gasped.

Sesshoumaru was the first to strike, aiming to hit the fox square in the chest. However, Youko had effortlessly evaded the poisonous whip. Little did the Western Lord know, Youko was extremely adept with the whip. He knew exactly how they worked and could read them like books.

Youko retaliated with a twirl of his wrist, only to be thwarted with Sesshoumaru's sword. Fuck. This would be harder than he thought.

Kagome's eyes could barely keep up with the pair of them. But from what she could catch glimpses of, Sesshoumaru seemed to have the upper hand with his sword and ability to fly.

Kagome was frantic. She wanted to stop them from fighting, but she couldn't without putting herself in harm's way. She tried to force herself to step in between them, but her body would not listen! Could it be the murderous youkis? Was this her demon half taking over?

With nothing else she could do, Kagome kneeled down towards Inuyasha. He had lost consciousness. His breathing was labored. And a thin sheen of sweat was developing all over his body. FUCK. She couldn't do ANYTHING!

After many more swipes from each weapon, there was a halt. Kagome noticed the lack of sounds and turned towards the fighting pair. Youko was breathing heavily, one knee on the ground, head slightly bowed, as Sesshoumaru stood in front of him, whip still in hand. "Any last words?" he asked as he raised his whip-wielding hand.

But before he let the fatal blow reach its target, Kagome had appeared in front of Youko, shielding him. She didn't know why she risked her life for the fox demon, or even how her body moved that quickly, but she did. It was as if her body had moved of its own accord.

Sesshoumaru stopped mid-motion and looked shocked at her stance. _What was this?_ He looked into her eyes and saw the edges of her iris change to pink and red.

He looked back again at the fox behind her. _Fuck_! There was no clear shot without harming his prize.

Kagome stood still, arms spread out wide, and looked straight into Sesshoumaru's eyes. "I said this is between **US**! Did you not hear what I said?" she yelled.

Sesshoumaru studied her. He was an emotionless lord, but it did not mean he did not know what emotions _WERE_. He saw strength coming from something deep within her. Was it… love?

If he defied her now, she would surely rip him to pieces. He could feel the singe of miko energy emanating, slowly gaining momentum with her demon half.

Losing to this hanyou bitch was worse than losing to his hanyou brother. _She wasn't even a true hanyou! _From what he could tell, he had no chance against her. He knew now he had no way of forcing her into something she did not want.

Sesshoumaru pulled back from his offensive stance, retracted his whip, and stood tall. "You are no longer in my debt, Kagome. You may do as you wish, and should we ever meet again, the circumstances will be very different. Understand that I have found you not worthy of being mine." And with that, he left, taking off into the sky.

At first Kagome was flaring with madness, but when his youki left with him. She began to calm down. "What changed his mind?" she wondered.

As soon as Sesshoumaru was out of sight and smell, Kagome sprang into action. She sped towards Inuyasha, kneeled, and immediately took off his haori to check on his wounds. Fuck, fuck, fuck! She didn't know how or why, but the poison was spreading much quicker than usual.

Kagome jumped up and did a quick perimeter check of the grounds, but could not come upon anything useful. No herbs in sight. Inuyasha would have to battle the poison himself. She ran back to Inuyasha and kneeled by his side. "Come on, Inuyasha. You can fight this!" Tears were spilling down her face. He wouldn't leave her. He **COULDN'T** leave her.

"Stay with me!" she almost screamed.

Youko, still crouched in the middle of the clearing, was in awe and shock. Why had she saved him? What did she do to make Sesshoumaru leave?

His thoughts were cut short when a single scent overwhelmed his nose—salt.

She was crying.

And what was he doing? He said he would protect her, goddamnit!

Youko jumped up from the ground and headed over to her. She ignored his presence and continued stroking Inuyasha's hair and hand. She alternated between petting his head and grasping his hand. She was trying to comfort him as much as she could with her shaking arms. It was the only thing she could do to keep busy. "You'll be ok," she whispered, "everything will be alright."

Youko kneeled beside her and pulled out a seed from his hair. Using what remained of his strength, he summoned the seed to grow at an unnaturally high speed. "This is an herb that will work against most poisons." He pushed the now full grown plant into her field of vision.

She was too devastated and continued stroking Inuyasha's hand. "Everything will be ok," he heard her say.

Youko looked on at her broken face. He would stop her tears.

He tore open the plant and a milky yellow liquid began to ooze out of the stem. Quickly, he placed the stem to Inuyasha's lips, forcing it into the hanyou's mouth. He then gripped Inuyasha's neck and moved his hand up and down his throat, driving the medicine into his unconscious body.

Almost immediately, Inuyasha's eyes began to flutter. Kagome finally shook free from her trance, and eagerly looked at Inuyasha, eyes larger than ever. It worked! Kagome smiled with glee and threw herself on Inuyasha. She embraced him with all her might. "Ka-go-me… I c-can't breathe," he barely whispered. She immediately let go and sat back next to him, watching him with her big blue eyes and continued her petting. He would be fine.

Youko looked on at the pair and had witnessed the whole thing. Immediately, he felt uncomfortable.

"So she loves him," he thought.

Slowly, he stood. They would be happy together.

Broken hearted, he began to walk away.

"Youko!" Kagome yelled.

After no response, she yelled again, "Youko!" this time louder.

"Youko!" she tried again, this time running in front of him and pressed a hand onto his chest. "Wait," she paused, "Don't go." His eyebrow rose slightly. She looked into his eyes and stammered, "Um, w-would you like to join me? I mean, us? In our search for the shikon shards?" He scowled when she had said _**us**__,_ her and the other hanyou.

He easily walked around her and her outstretched hand, continuing on his way. Almost as if she read his mind, she quickly added, "It's not just me and Inuyasha, there are three other members in our group, and we're all really close friends."

He stopped in his tracks. _**Friends**__? _his ears perked up_. _He knew he had no chance with her, but he wanted to be with her SOOO badly. And what was better than to travel alongside her, day and night? Besides, how could he say no to her? He took a deep breath and turned back around, contemplating his decision. Knowing he might regret it later, he said "You saved my life just now. I guess this is the least I can do."

"Thank you," she said, staring into his eyes. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him, embracing him. Youko was caught off guard and stood tense, surprised. "Thank you" she repeated, tears soaking into his shirt. She quickly let go and blushed, "Heh, sorry…" her eyes looking down at the floor. Even when he wasn't trying anything, he still managed to make her heart flutter.

Still standing in front of him, she looked up, deeper than she had ever looked before. He smiled. And ever so slowly, she tiptoed and brought her lips towards his in a small chaste kiss. She blushed once more, and turned back to Inuyasha who was out cold once again.

Youko could not move. She had kissed him! **SHE** had kissed **HIM.** A grin had stupidly appeared on his face.

"Come on, Youko! Let's get Inuyasha back to camp and I can introduce you to everyone else."

He quickly shook his head as he was pulled out from his stupor. He happily sped towards them and raised Inuyasha's left arm over his shoulder while Kagome did the same with his right.

Their kiss had been a quick one, but it was everything that needed to be said. Kagome's feelings were in that kiss, and Youko got a clear answer of whether or not she was with the hanyou.

They walked off together with Inuyasha in tow, with similar thoughts in their heads. Why did she kiss him? And what was it they were feeling?

~~~End of Chapter~~~~

Author's Note: LONG CHAPTER? Kinda?

Again, any help on how to end tie this story up with future Youko would be helpful...!


	10. CH10

**It all Started with a Nameless Beauty**

Author's Note: Hey I just met you. And this is crazy. But here's my story. So review me, maybe?

~~~ Chapter 10~~

The moon was high in the sky as Miroku, Sango, and Shippou sat around in a circle. They had set up camp soon after Kagome had left to go hunt, and by now the fire had died down to a few embers.

Shippou had fallen into a very light sleep and every now and then he would wake, only to murmur "Kagome" and then quickly fall back into his slumber. As the night grew darker, the winds grew colder, and Shippou had nuzzled deeper into Kirara, while Sango and Miroku leaned ever so slightly towards each other.

Leaves rustled in the distance. Crickets chirped in the night. A branch unexpectedly snapped.

Miroku was the first to respond. Quickly, he stood up, on the defense. Sango followed seconds later and waited for what was to come.

Out from the bushes, a large silhouette began to take form. It took no precaution to move quietly, and with each step, a grunt was heard. Sango kept her voice low, "Houshi-sama, what in the world _is_ that?" Miroku squinted his eyes, paused, and then turned back to Sango with no response. He simply shrugged his shoulders.

They both looked on at the mysterious form. It wasn't much taller than either of them, and it seemed extremely bulky. The creature approached them at a snail's pace and with very little finesse. If anything, it seemed to be drunk—its width not helping it as it stumbled through the forest.

Sango and Miroku lifted their weapons. Whatever it was, it was heading straight for them. They would have the upper hand, the element of surprise. Just as it entered into their range of attack, the inevitable happened.

IT FELL.

Through the darkness, the monk and the exterminator could only hear bits and pieces of muttered voices. _Something about carrying some one?_

Miroku and Sango stealthily crept closer to the fallen creature, careful not to alert it, and came upon a sight that they certainly did not expect. Kagome was sprawled on the floor, crushed under an unconscious Inuyasha, while a stranger was tangled in a mixture of his own and Inuyasha's clothing. The trio fumbled, trying to get on their feet, only to fall over once again.

"Ahem," Sango cleared her throat and smiled, "Are we interrupting something?" Kagome looked up only to blush and scold herself for not noticing them sooner. _Weren't her senses supposed to catch these things?_

Kagome recomposed herself and quickly said, "Gods no, Sango! But please, if you're not too busy laughing at us, would you like to give us a hand?" Sango chuckled and dove in to help peel Inuyasha off of her. Miroku quickly jumped in and heaved most of Inuyasha's weight away to give them room to collect themselves. Effortlessly, he threw Inuyasha over his shoulder and carried him back to camp.

After reaching the barely burning fire, Miroku propped Inuyasha sitting up against a tree, and Sango picked up more wood and threw it into the pit. When the fire burned once more and everyone settled in, the round of questions began. "So… Kagome, who the heck is he?" the monk asked, pointing to Youko.

"Oh! How rude of me! Everyone, this is Youko Kurama. Youko, this is everyone, Miroku, Sango, Shippou, and Kirara," Kagome motioned.

"Hello," he greeted.

Sango opened her mouth, ready with the next question, only to be disrupted by a shrill squeak. Shippou was wide awake now, and pounced onto the newcomer and gripped the front of his shirt, "You! You're a kitsune! Like me! Can you teach me anything? I REALLY _REALLY_ want to become stronger, and with you as my teacher, I can become more powerful for sure! I can sense your power from here!" Shippou stopped for a second to catch a quick breath and eagerly continued, "But before that, what are you doing with Kagome? Who said you can be with her without someone else watching you guys? What happened to Inuyasha? Did you do this? Did you hurt Kagome while she was gone? If you did, you better prepare to feel my wrath!" His small fist clenched.

"Shippou!" Kagome pleaded, "Calm down. I'll explain everything." She grabbed Shippou under his armpits and pulled him into her arms. In her embrace, he spun around to face Kagome and cuddled into her neck and hair. Youko inhaled a sharp breath. _The nerve of the little fox_! He was mixing his scent with hers!

Not realizing or not caring, Kagome simply hugged him tighter within her arms and started scratching the top of his head.

Youko needed to snap out of it. Shippou was only a pup! What was he getting jealous for?

As Kagome began her story, Youko just stared at her. He watched her lips, mesmerized by their movements. And he looked into her eyes, drowning in their depths. "She is perfect. She is everything I've ever wanted," he thought. His gaze then traveled downward towards the little kit in her arms. The anger that was elicited not too long ago had somehow subsided, and was replaced by something else, a sense of fulfillment. He saw her now, nurturing a fox pup, and his thoughts rapidly transformed from blinding rage to comfort. That was his family.

He knew now what he needed to do.

Kagome did a fine job retelling her story with the three youkai, and she _conveniently_ forgot to bring up details regarding any kisses with any youkai dog **or** fox.

While Kagome narrated as best as she could, questions were still in abundance, and the story had lasted much longer than expected. When her narration was coming to an end, fatigue had unexpectedly and immediately set in. They would all wait until morning to discuss further plans of what to do and where to go.

Miroku went to Inuyasha to ensure the hanyou was indeed doing alright, and after his quick inspection, he took up his usual position, sitting and leaning against a tree, as Sango chose a place near him on the floor. Kagome went to her bag and pulled out her blanket. She looked down in sadness, if only she had brought her sleeping bag! It would be an uncomfortable night.

She grabbed the blanket at one end and threw her hands into the air, spreading the blanket out onto the floor. She crawled on top of the semi-soft cloth and began to make herself comfortable. Shippou soon joined her, and almost immediately his small even breaths could be heard. She wrapped her arms around the little fox, and closed her eyes. After a day like hers, she was bound to fall asleep quickly. Or so she thought. Kagome continued to fidget, desperately trying to sleep. After tossing and turning for quite some time, she knew it was her demon instinct. Something nagged at her.

Kagome shifted on her blanket another ten times before she froze. She knew _exactly_ what it was, "Youko!" she whispered as loudly as she could without waking her fellow campmates, "would you PLEASE stop staring? It's making me uncomfortable, and it's not polite!"

Youko, who was still by the fire, was stirred out of his trance, and immediately went up to a tree not far away from Kagome and sat himself down. She had seen his slight hurt expression, and instantly felt the guilt for snapping at him like that. He didn't do anything wrong, and he _did _just save Inuyasha. She was sure she was just cranky from not having eaten and from not having a good night's sleep in so long.

Kagome sighed. "Youko," she pleaded, "I didn't mean to be rude or cold, and I didn't mean to chase you away. I'm sorry," she paused and waited.

She looked at him sitting in the tree. He did not even acknowledge her! She sighed again. Ugh. He was such a child. Kagome frowned, then rolled her eyes, "I'm going to hate myself in the morning," she thought and took a deep breath, "Do you want to come down here and share my blanket? I mean, I know it's not much, but it's better than a tree or the ground." She looked up, curious. He turned his head away from her.

Kagome's shoulders slumped. She looked away and snuggled deeper into Shippou, curling herself into a tight ball. Maybe he would forgive her tomorrow morning? With guilt still dwelling in her heart, she knew she would sleep another uneasy night.

Not until she felt a familiar pair of arms wrap around her from behind, did she fall sound asleep.

* * *

The sun slowly crawled over the horizon, as if dreading the start of the day. Birds began to chirp and people began to wake, and soon the world was bustling.

"Get your filthy hands off of her you FOX!" Inuyasha yelled. There was no time to wipe the tiredness from their eyes, everyone was wide awake.

Kagome was still in Youko's arms and fidgeted within the fox's grasp, trying to flee. Shippou was no longer in Kagome's arms. She could see him eating a cup ramen by the fire, making the situation seem much more suspicious than it really was. _A male and a female spooning in each other's arms for an entire night?_

She wanted ,no, she NEEDED to diffuse the situation as quickly as possible. She felt the arms around her begin to tighten, and her plans to escape were wiped out. She strained her head over her shoulder and could see that his eyes were still closed. **Was he still sleeping?** She futilely tried one more time to get away, but felt the fox snuggle deeper into her hair, breathing deeply. Inuyasha's eyes flared wide and he began to pull out Tetsusaiga—

"Osuwari!" Kagome yelled.

The earth shook as Inuyasha plummeted into the ground, and Youko's eyes finally began to open. "Oh, good morning everyone!" he lifted his arm and waved. Kagome quickly took the opportunity and scrambled away from him and clambered up to her feet, "Sango! Let's go take a bath, there's a hot spring nearby." She used her hanyou speed and strength, and dragged Sango by the wrist towards their destination.

At the camp, it seemed Inuyasha was having a stare down by himself. His glare bore into Youko's entire being, but Youko was completely unaware, his face blank and innocent. He didn't understand what the dog was so angry about.

Soon after, Inuyasha sulked. He knew he couldn't touch a hair on the fox's head. Kagome would _osuwari_ him until the ends of time if he did. With Tetsusaiga sheathed, all of his frustration began to build up, "You have NO right to be near her, Fox! I don't know why you're so familiar with her and I don't really care, so just leave and go back to the pathetic hole you crawled out of!"

Youko, stared blankly back, obliged him, and left.

"Ha!" Inuyasha laughed, "I showed him! He knows not mess with me!" Miroku, on the side, had witnessed the whole scenario, sighed and took a seat on a nearby rock, "you know he saved your life yesterday, right?"

Inuyasha looked at him in surprise and grunted, "Feh."

Sango quickly took off her kimono and taijiya outfit and submerged herself into the soothing warm water. "You have _no_ idea how much I needed this, Kagome. We've been travelling for days without rest," she sighed, and then turned back to her companion, "so when are you going to tell me more about the new guy?" she smirked.

Kagome sat at the edge of the spring and splashed water into Sango's face, "And just _what _are you implying?" Both girls giggled, but Kagome promptly stopped. Something was coming their way. "Sango, shhh! Hide." she whispered.

Kagome stood up from the ground. Waiting. Sango quietly swam behind a large rock, and peeked out just enough to see what was going on.

Out of nowhere, Youko suddenly appeared in the clearing, and Sango was about to scream and beat him with her boomerang, until she realized that his back was towards them. "At least he's respectable and not a lecher," she thought.

"I apologize ladies," he spoke, "but Inuyasha said I was to come here and bring Kagome back. He had something to ask her. So please, do not think that I would come here for the purpose of spying."

Kagome looked at him cautiously, "and why would he send _you? _Why didn't he just come here himself?" she asked.

"He said you would just use the spell again—the one with the rosary beads. He also said you probably wouldn't listen to him." Kagome looked him over again, his argument seemed sound. He continued, "He also said I would be a safer choice than the monk." _That_ was definitely true. She would have hurt Miroku if he had come. And with Inuyasha's hot temper, she was sure she'd harm him too.

Kagome looked back at her companion, "Sango, do you think you can get back safely?" "Of course!" Sango responded. "But don't think you've dodged my questions yet," she quickly added.

Kagome smiled at her friend, and turned back to Youko. She tentatively took a step closer to the fox, and then picked up a rather speedy pace, passing Youko, and heading straight back to camp. Youko easily caught up to her and walked a safe distance behind her.

This was it. This was the moment. Just as she was far enough from the spring and Sango's sight, he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. "Youko! What are you doing? I can walk for myself!" she screamed.

"I'm sorry Kagome, but I can't leave you in the hands of an irresponsible hanyou like that! He can barely take care of himself!" And with that, Youko carried the stunned Kagome back to his domain.

* * *

~~~End of Chapter~~~

Author's Note: thanks again for reading!


	11. CH11

**It all Started with a Nameless Beauty**

Author's Note: enjoy! This is _barely_ lime-y. There's just the usual bad language. :)

~~~ Chapter 11~~~

As soon as Youko and Kagome were out of sight, Sango got out of the hot spring. It wouldn't be safe to stay behind without Kagome. She also wanted to hurry up and go see what they were fighting about. Sango arrived back at the camp ten minutes later, only to find Inuyasha and Miroku, with no Kagome. Where could she be?

"Oy! Where's Kagome? You didn't leave her did you?" Inuyasha shouted from a tree.

Sango quizzically looked up towards him, "Um… she came back a while ago. Youko got her for you."

At this, Inuyasha quickly stood up and jumped down from his branch, "WHAT!? You mean that stupid fox?! When did this happen?!"

"I already told you! It _just_ happened. He came over and told us that YOU wanted to talk to Kagome, so you sent him. Sheesh. There is no need to yell!"

Pausing for a few seconds, and after many colorful words regarding the fox, Inuyasha headed towards the spring. How could he have been so stupid! Knowing how arrogant Youko was, he should have known he wouldn't just back down.

He arrived at the spring, and came to a halt at the water's edge, he would find their scents. He could recognize that conniving plant-sniffing fox in no time. Inuyasha crouched down onto the floor and shoved his nose into the dirt and grass. Kagome was here alright. Slowly, as not to miss anything, Inuyasha crawled back in the direction of Miroku and Sango, back towards camp. How come there was no fox scent? As he crawled further and further into the forest, Kagome's scent was becoming fainter and fainter. How was this possible? How could it just disappear?

Inuyasha lifted his head up from the earth and took a deep breath of the air. Nothing. He looked around him and sniffed at the trees and flowers around him. Not a single hint. FUCK THAT FOX! His nose was losing its sharpness. Inuyasha's eyes grew dark. The fox had somehow planned everything out, down to a tee. Something was in the earth, something was desensitizing his nose. _Damn it to hell!_

Crashing through the trees came Sango, Miroku, and Shippou, all atop the fire cat demon. Inuyasha did not bother glancing up. He mumbled under his breath.

Shippou looked at Inuyasha wide-eyed and was the first to break the silence, voice full of concern, "What's wrong? Where's Kagome?"

He scowled, "She's been taken."

* * *

Kagome tried steadying herself on Youko's shoulder. He was going so fast, she was starting to feel nauseated. She was bouncing up and down non-stop and it was not helping her think straight. With time, she began to realize her predicament and began to pound on his back AGAIN. "Let me go, Youko! I'm supposed to stay with them! I told you before that I don't belong to YOU!" With her last word, she punched his back as forcefully as she could, emphasizing her anger.

Youko snapped. How could she not understand yet? Suddenly, he threw her off his shoulder and in one smooth motion, he gripped the nape of her neck and pinned her body to a tree. She winced in pain as her back crashed into the hard bark. She had barely enough time to grasp the situation, and found both of her hands grasping at Youko's hold on her neck. He needed to let go of her now! Kagome began to panic as she felt his hand on her neck. She tried digging her fingers under his to loosen his hold, but he only tightened his grip, forcing her head to tilt back against the tree trunk, completely exposing her neck. Kagome froze.

He growled, "You don't belong to anyone BUT **ME**!"

Kagome looked down her nose at him and stared at him in fear and anger. Was he really going down this road again? She tried to move her arms to push him off of her or to claw at him, but her body refused. What was going on? She tried once more to shove her arms in front of her, but only succeeded in twitching her shoulders. She was completely immobilized.

Youko tightened his grip further and raised his other hand to her jaw, effectively lowering her face until her eyes were level with his. "You will come to my den _quietly_," his youki flared. Kagome whimpered. What was THAT?! Something inside of her had taken over, and her body had bent to his will without question.

When he released her body, Kagome had slumped down onto the ground. Easily, he picked her up off the floor, and sped off towards his lair once again.

* * *

Inuyasha growled from deep within his throat and turned towards the spring. He would have to guess where Youko took her. He would only rely on his sense of sound and sight to find her. He crouched down once more onto the ground and looked at the floor, scrutinizing each and every blade of grass. He would find the bloody fox and beat him to a pulp!

Miroku interjected, "If I may, Inuyasha?" The hanyou pulled himself away from the earth and listened. "I do not believe that Youko will do her any harm," the monk started, "when you came to us last night, Kagome explained everything. He saved you, you know. He helped you recover."

He could not believe it. The monk wanted him to sit back and let the fox do what he wanted! Inuyasha grumbled and continued with his assessment of the forest floor until he heard another voice.

"Inuyasha," Sango began, "I understand that you care for her, but I think that it would be better to let her be for a while." His demeanor did not change; her words seemed to have no hold whatsoever. She sighed and continued, "Don't you think it's better for her to have someone's whole heart rather than someone else's half?" She waited and finally saw a change in Inuyasha's body, "She needs to find her own happiness. And I'm sure if it was against her will, Youko would let her go. He seems to genuinely care for her."

Inuyasha looked back at Sango and could not deny a single word. Kagome _would_ be happier with someone else. After all, he was still devoted and bound to Kikyo. He could not help it. With a sigh, Inuyasha walked back towards Kaede's village. "If we don't hear from her _very _soon, I'm going to find that filthy fox and murder him," he grumbled.

* * *

As Kagome bounced on his shoulder, her resolve slowly began to come back to her. She still didn't understand what had happened earlier. The sun began to set and her demon eyes helped her see through the forest. How long had it been?

Not until they were within sight of Youko's cave did she feel back to her normal self again. "Youko, please just stop this. We've been through this so many times!" Youko ignored her and continued to speed towards the cave. Tens of guards stood at the entrance, and as they went deeper into the lair, more stood lining the halls.

Kagome began to struggle within his grip, but before she could regain her strength and will, she was already locked inside the all too familiar room with her all too familiar captor. She stood in the center of the room and rolled her eyes. Fuck. She was back to square one and this time it seemed like escape would be near impossible.

Youko stood up straight and stretched his arms high above his head. He let out a long breath and walked towards a large trunk near the door. He pulled out two sleeping yukatas, and tossed one at Kagome, "Here put this on," he said. She ignored his command and was hit by the sleeping garment. She stood still, arms crossed, and glared at him. Did he really expect her to listen to him? After what he did?! Youko sighed, "Suit yourself." He reached over his shoulder, gripped the back of his shirt, and pulled it over his head. Without skipping a beat, he hooked his thumb under the band of his pants and in one sweeping motion, he took** everything** off. Kagome was taken aback and quickly squeezed her eyes shut. _Did this youkai have no modesty?_ She blushed.

"Like what you see?" he smirked, admiring the pink hue that spread through her cheeks. Kagome did not respond and would not respond. She was not going to submit! After more rustling of clothes, she finally heard him speak up, "Put on your night clothes, Kagome."

Kagome continued to stand where she stood, eyes still closed.

"If you're not going to do it, then I guess I'll have to do it for you, ne?" Kagome's eyes snapped open and bulged.

Before she knew it, Youko had pinned her on the ground, straddling her waist, and pinning her arms to her sides. His hands quickly reached up to her collar and began to untie the red scarf of her uniform. She began to struggle with all her might, attempting to use her Miko powers to throw him off, but she could not reach it. What was going on! Youko stopped and smirked, "Ah yes, Kagome, I was wondering when you would figure it out. There are spells on this room that confines any holy power given off. So in here, you are just a hanyou, and I am just a youkai. Would you care to see who will win?" he laughed.

Kagome's heart began to pound. "Ok, ok! I give up! Just get off of me, so I can change!" she blurted out. Youko looked at her and frowned, "I thought you would have resisted me _a little_ longer than that." He stood up and handed her the spare yukata, "Come on now, change," he said again.

How come she could resist him now, but not earlier back in the forest? Kagome grumbled and glared at him. She still didn't understand what was going on.

She undid the half tied scarf, but just as she reached for the hem of her shirt, she realized Youko was just staring. "Exc-USE **ME**!" she yelled, moving the yukata in front of her body, shielding her body from his gaze.

"It's not like I haven't seen it before," he smiled, "Well, most of it anyways."

Kagome's youki flared with anger and embarrassment.

"I'm just kidding!" he said lifting his hands up in defeat and faced the front wall, "I promise I won't turn around." She could _feel_ the smirk on his face.

Kagome looked at him suspiciously and quickly took off her top and bottom. Wearing only her bra and underwear, she slipped into her sleeping outfit. The pure silk and white yukata draped from her shoulders and hugged her every curve. "I'm decent now. You can turn around."

Youko complied and smiled, "Sleeping with you in that, I don't think I'll be able to hold back," he growled with excitement.

"What?! I am NOT going to sleep with you in the same futon!"

"Why not? We did it last night."

Kagome blushed and pointed at him, "Yea, but… but… there were other people there! Now it's only us! It's improper!" She frantically waved her hand in his direction.

"It's not improper. You're going to be my mate no matter what," he said, then quickly grabbed her extended arm and walked her towards his futon. Kagome pulled against his grip and tried to find leverage on the floor, but she was just too small compared to Youko. He easily dragged her across the room. "You have got to be kidding me, Youko. You can't just claim me and you know it!" she yelled. Youko ignored her last statement and got into the futon, pulling her down with him. Clumsily, she plopped onto the soft blanket with him. His arm looped around her waist and pulled her into his body, effectively spooning her back into his chest, "Just sleep, Kagome. We've had a long day." In response, she reached for the arm that surrounded her and struggled to loosen his grip, "Let me go, Youko!"

The blankets shifted around her and she was quickly enveloped in a down feather comforter. A mouth suddenly rested itself upon the back of her neck. She stiffened. "Sleep, Kagome," he breathed. She could feel the hairs on her skin stand on end. What was he doing to her! Kagome's entire body had stilled and she could feel every small movement he made. Every breath he made sent tingles down her spine.

Slowly and ever so carefully, Kagome tried to pull herself away from him. She tried to pull forward to put some space between them, but a fang stopped her in her tracks. Youko's teeth were bared and she could feel them on her nape, pressing into her skin. She froze. "Go to sleep," he breathed. Chills traveled down her body once again. How could she sleep with him affecting her like that?

Now too tense to fall asleep, Kagome's eyes darted across the room. Maybe she could find an escape route, develop a plan? Quickly scanning her surroundings, she couldn't find anything! Just boring lame furniture. Ugh. What was the point? He had miko-proofed the room, there were extra guards outside, and he was asleep RIGHT BEHIND HER. She sighed.

Giving up on an escape plan, she began to admire the beauty of the room itself. She took note of the things she saw: priceless paintings, sculptures, shimmering jewelry, beautifully crafted furniture, rich tapestry... Her eyes rested on a piece in the corner, a vanity with meticulous details. She admired the table top and the mirror, she would love to have that in her house. It was breathtaking.

Wait.

A mirror!

Her mind moved a million miles a minute. _Wasn't that the direction Youko was facing when she was changing?!_

Kagome turned around as best as she could in his arms, "YOU! YOU HENTAI! You were looking at me change _in the mirro**r**_! You perverted fox! I can't believe you! You said you wouldn't peek!" She batted his chest as best as she could, struggling with his arms and the heavy blanket.

His eyes opened and he looked at her innocently, "Actually, my dear Kagome," he grinned, "I said that I would not turn my head. And I didn't. I am a fox of honor."

"Ugh! HONOR!" Kagome yelled, "You're despicable!" She batted his chest some more, "You tricked me! I can't belie-" A pair of lips cut her off. He captured her mouth in a passionate kiss and did not let go. Soon, Kagome's world became engulfed in darkness, her last thoughts of a peculiar taste in her mouth.

~~~End of Chapter~~~

Author's Note: For some reason this chapter had the most revisions. I was never happy with it! WHY? I will never know.

Youko is so sneaky… heehee. -^_^-


	12. CH12

**It all Started with a Nameless Beauty**

A/N: (I never really knew what Youko's personality was in the anime… so I apologize if he's out of character!) Also, I apologize for the long wait!

~~~Chapter 12~~~

Sunlight squeezed its way through a small hole in the wall of the cave and slowly crawled across the room, landing on Kagome's face. The brightness penetrated her deep sleep and her eyes began to flutter. She stretched out her legs and fumbled under the feather blanket until she lay on her side. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes. The whiteness of the comforter immediately blinded her. She squeezed her eyes shut. Reflexively, her hands shot upwards towards her face, but they refused to move. Kagome blinked several times and squinted. _What was going on?_ She tried pulling her hands towards her once more but stopped mid-motion. They were tangled within the sheets.

Kagome looked down and focused on her captive limbs. Was there always a sheet? She tried to pull them free once again, and almost immediately regretted it. When she tugged at her hands, a well-toned chest emerged through the sea of white. What she thought was bed linen was Youko's sleeping yukata! Her eyes bulged. And now he was almost naked! This was bad.

As deftly as she could, she unwove her hands from his clothing. With just one more yank of his yukata, she would have surely exposed everything. Clumsily, she tried to search for the ties that closed his garment, but came upon nothing. The color of the blanket and his clothing camouflaged too well together and she did not want to accidentally reach for something she did not want to find. She blushed.

After her failed attempt to cover up his body, she shyly looked for his face. She could picture it now, his usual mouth with its usual smirk. To her surprise, she had come upon something entirely different. He was still asleep.

Whether it was the lighting of the room, or the serenity of the cave, she could not tell, but in front of her was the most handsome face she had ever seen, and it was just a few inches from her own. _How could someone so perfect exist?_ She began to inspect his face.

She looked at his flawless skin and the strong angles his bone structure created. Everything was perfect – nose, cheekbones, jaw line. As she continued to admire his face, his breath began to quicken and his eyebrows furrowed. Crap! Was he waking? Kagome quickly closed her eyes. She did not want him catching her ogling him. When nothing happened, she peered between her eyelashes and took a peek. He was still asleep, but his face now held a frown.

His eyelids twitched and lips quivered. He was dreaming, or maybe having a nightmare? She looked on in disapproval. She was familiar with those lines between his eyebrows. They were her old friends, as she would see them as clear as day every time he would get angry at her. Slowly, she freed her arm and stuck out her pointer finger. Softly, and ever so cautiously, she reached towards the point above his nose with just one finger, and delicately pressed into his skin to smooth out the creases. He was much more handsome when he was not angry. She smiled.

As she lowered her hand, she lightly brushed her fingertips along his strong jaw line. She looked at his face for any signs of waking. Nothing. His lack of response emboldened her to continue her investigation. She wanted to remember this face. This was the face she never saw on him. She liked this face.

Her eyes traveled across his visage and trailed upwards again, until her gaze fell upon a pair of triangles atop his head. She could _not_ resist, especially when he had proven to be such a deep sleeper. She could swear they were bigger and more squeezable than Inuyasha's! Carefully, she lifted one of her hands and placed it upon one ear, paused for a second, double-checking to see if he had woken up, and then shimmied her other arm free and placed it on the opposite. She had wanted to do since the first time she saw him. Softly, she squeezed his ears as he had done to her during their first encounter. When he did not stir, Kagome tweaked his ears just a bit harder. They were _so_ soft!

While rubbing his ears, she began to feel him shift next to her. She quickly tried to maneuver her arms back into place, but he had reached his arms around her waist and pulled her tighter into him, pushing himself deeper into her chest. A soft growl escaped his throat. Kagome looked on in surprise as well as comfort. That wasn't a growl, it was a purr!

And it felt right.

She tried to continue gazing at his face, but he burrowed deeper into her. When she lost sight of him, she focused on his body next to hers and welcomed his warmth. She then wondered how much she would not mind waking up to this every morning and continued to rub his ears in slow circular motions.

Kagome's eyelids soon became heavy. She tried to resist, but she was too comfortable. In no time, her breathing had steadied and synchronized to Youko's. They lay peacefully entwined in each other's arms.

The room was calm and time passed steadily. The ray of light that had shined earlier on the pair had now shifted to a corner in the room.

Slowly, Youko opened his eyes and lifted his head to sniff around. Realizing that his face was buried in Kagome's chest, he quickly pushed himself away and propped himself up on his elbows, cheeks pink as uncooked meat.

"Gomen ne, Kagome! I did not know what I was doing."

Kagome woke up bewildered. What was happening?

She looked at her surroundings and recollected what had happened just a few moments ago. It seemed his true colors had shown and he really cared about what she thought! Was this not the same Youko that peeked at her the other night, and the one who kissed her a few days back? She was shocked.

"It's fine Youko. I-if there's anyone to blame, then it should be me…" She watched his eyes widen, "I couldn't help myself from touching your ears… and then you just reflexively moved closer." She followed his example and blushed, "Gomen ne."

Kagome quickly recovered from her embarrassed state and began to test out her newly discovered theory. She teased him, "I guess this is the real you, huh? You're just a little blushing kitsune." She giggled.

He was glad she was smiling. She seemed to have forgotten about what happened last night and he hoped she would never learn. She had kept fidgeting the night before, and if either of them were going to get any sleep, he had to do something! With a quick hand gesture, he had plucked a seed from his hair, and slipped it into her mouth via kiss. The seed held nectar that was known to give a good night's rest and to help the body recuperate.

He smiled back and the color in his cheeks swiftly left his face. It was best to keep her happy and her mind off of last night, "And now I know the real **you** too! You're just a vixen who fondles handsome youkai in their sleep, ne?"

She blushed again, but just as fast as it appeared, it vanished, only to be replaced by her own smirk, "_What_ handsome youkai? I don't see one anywhere."

Youko looked at her in fascination, and smirked. His eyebrow rose, "Oh _really_?"

"The only youkai I see is a perverted fox!" she paused. He could almost see the memory forming in her head, "And what you did last night!" she shrieked.

Shit. She remembered. He began to worry.

"YOU! I can't believe you did that! What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything! You just fell asleep. Maybe because I was too much for you?" he smiled again, trying to diffuse her anger with humor. He did not want her to know he had taken control again. That would just piss her off more.

She quickly sat up from the futon and raised her fist with a strong intent to hurt something.

Youko stared wide-eyed and scrambled out of the way across the room, just in time to avoid being pummeled. Was she really going to fight him? Did she think that would be beaten by a hanyou? A girl no less?

Man, was she going to get a wakeup call. He smirked and readied himself into a defensive stance.

He watched Kagome, waiting for her move. Her eyes widened as large as saucers and her hands quickly shot upwards to cover them.

What was she doing? Wasn't she just about to attack him?

Kagome maneuvered her hands until one covered both eyes and the other pointed at his exposed body, "Um… Youko, could you please cover yourself?" Youko looked down and quickly reached for the ties to his sleeping yukata. When did that happen!?

"I'm dressed now," he said.

She warily unveiled her eyes, and her cheeks remained the color of tomatoes.

Youko smiled at her. _Had she done this to him?_ "Kagome, if you wanted me, all you had to do was ask." He reached for the knot and began to play with the ties.

Kagome's eyes bulged, "No, no! You got it all wrong. It was an accident! I swear!"

So it really _**was**_her! "It's OK, Kagome. I understand. If I was in your position, I don't think I could keep my hands to myself either. I'd want to touch my ears and undress me too," he winked.

Kagome was fuming. He was making her out to be a harlot! "Youko! Stop it! It was all an accident, alright?"

Youko smiled again and winked, "UH-HUH. One _**happy**__ accident._"

She burst up from the bed and charged at him with fists drawn, ready to throw punches. He quickly sidestepped and was once again out of harm's way.

"Nothing better than a little morning exercise!" he thought. She dashed towards him with all her speed and threw punches at him from every direction. Hook punches, straight punches, and uppercuts, nothing worked! Both of their hands were moving at incredible speeds and their bodies were moving throughout the room.

The punches were proving to be futile. None were getting in. She needed a plan. She would fake a punch and then round-house kick him in the chest. Her legs had a much longer reach than her arms, and she was sure it would hit. When an opening presented itself, she kicked off her right foot as hard as she could and aimed directly into his chest. "I got him!" she thought. But just as she celebrated in her head, her leg was stopped mid-air by her yukata and she was falling! Before she could realize what had happened, she was in the kitsune's arms. His eyes looked at her curiously, almost asking her "are you sure you want to continue?"

She blushed lightly, but then quickly turned red with anger; she was going to get him! What had started off as just a means to get him back for making fun of her had ended up as a battle for dominance. Her body wanted to prove to him that she was strong and someone that was not to be taken lightly.

She pushed herself away from him with great force, which caused both of them to be thrown in opposite directions. She looked down towards her legs, "Damn clothes!" She reached for the bottom hem of her sleeping attire, extended her claws, and ripped open a deep slit. Now she could get him. She smirked and looked up again, only to find that Youko was a preoccupied staring at her. Or, staring at her legs! He had been ogling her: her disheveled hair and clothing, and with just enough skin showing.

He was getting excited.

And she was fuming!

"You better pay more attention," she said, "or you'll get hurt!"

With that, she charged at him again, using a mix of punches and kicks intermingled with one another, spin kicks, back kicks, round-house kicks, anything she could think of. Only a few seemed to get through to him, but he was unaffected, almost as if she was nothing compared to him.

What she needed was a distraction. A distraction…

A light bulb suddenly flickered on in her head, and she took it and put it into action. She charged once again, although a little slower this time, she wanted to play out her plan and she was getting a bit tired from all of her earlier useless punches and kicks. She ran straight towards him at top speed, but before she reached him she maneuvered herself to graze the side of his body with hers and for her fingers to run across his shoulder.

Youko ran in the other direction waiting for the next attack, but it never came. He looked at her with curiosity written on his face. She was up to something.

Sweat had begun to form all over her body, and her chest heaved up and down to gasp for the much needed air. Her yukata seemed to have slipped further from her body, but only enough to tease his mind. She was stunning!

She charged at him again and noticed his lag in response time. Yes! It was working! She continued to fruitlessly punch at him, but this time her body would be much closer to his, sending shivers up both of their spines. Each time she went in to strike him with her arms or legs, she would end up teasing him, caressing him. She would position herself to let him see more of her skin, and then breathe softly across the nape of his neck.

The contact between them was electrifying. Everything she was doing was electrifying!

His movements continued to slow, wanting to stay in contact with her for longer periods of time. Whether it was subconscious or not, his body was decelerating so he could feel her upon him once more.

This was it! He was off guard.

She quickly reached for his arm and wound it around his body, forced it straight behind his back and upwards into he sky, driving Youko to his knees and his face into the ground.

They both breathed heavily.

"I am NOT weak," she said with a breath, "I can take you on anytime so don't try anything funny again!"

She quickly let go, subconsciously not wanting to hurt him, and also because she did not have enough strength to keep him there for any longer. She plopped down on the floor lying on her back trying to catch her breath, while Youko sat himself up on the floor beside her.

She was wonderful.

He breathed along with her, trying to recuperate, but also to calm himself down. He then looked down at her and said enticingly, "I knew you were a girl who fondled youkai in their sleep, but I didn't know you were one to do it in a fight as well." He said with a look of triumph.

Kagome glared at him, closed her eyes, and pointed her finger at his nose. "Hey," she paused, "I won," effectively wiping the look off his face.

After a few minutes to catch their breaths, Youko spoke up, "Well Kagome, we should get up, I have things to do today, and I want to show you around." He looked at her peaceful face, and when hearing no response, he continued, "So, about those things I wasn't supposed to try. Was this one of them?" He leaned down and took her lips with his and let his tongue slide across her lips before lifting his head back up.

"Yes," she whispered and quickly fell asleep.

End of Chapter!

Again, I'm so sorry for the long wait! I've been really busy and this chapter was really hard for me to write… not really sure why. I think because there was so much going on! _


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